A long time ago we used to be friends
by The Scarlet Letter
Summary: Veronica finds herself waking up three years in the past, and finds herself faced with the opportunity to right all of the things that have gone wrong. All she has to do is pretend her Mother isn't cheating on her Father, pretend she doesn't know her best friend is sleeping with her murderer and she isn't in love with her best friend's boyfriend.
1. Waking up peppy

Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own any of the characters or any lines you may recognise from the show.

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Of two things Veronica Mars was certain. The first; somebody was cooking in her kitchen and the second; she had made a big mistake last night. Groaning, she pulled her pillow over her head to block out the early morning sun, and hopefully her own failings in the love department. She was momentarily considering the idea of smothering herself when the smell of bacon cooking reached her nose. Maybe she was being a little hasty, she thought, after all her problem would still be there after she stuffed herself with the greasy meat, wouldn't it?

Pulling the pillow from her head, resigned to face the world, she opened her eyes and blinked, then blinked again;

"What the-?" She murmured, all thoughts of bacon and Logan flying from her head. Why on earth were her walls _**pink**_?! And for that matter, why was her Dad cooking?! He never cooked breakfast unless there was bad news he had to tell her.

"Veronica sweetie, time to get up." A voice called from the kitchen, a voice Veronica knew well.

Mom?! Veronica thought, springing upright. Slowly Veronica took in her room, the pink walls, the pink comforter, the girly bed, the white dresser and stuck in the dressers mirror were pictures she'd long since hidden away of her, Lilly, Duncan and Logan from before Lilly's death when they were still the Fab Four. A knocking sounded at her door.

"Veronica?" Her Mother's voice called again. Jumping out of her bed she swung open her bedroom door and came face to face with her mother for the first time in months.

"Mom what are you doing here?" Veronica asked, really beginning to panic. The last time she had seen her mother she had told her that she needed to leave, and she had, taking the $50,000 Celeste Kane had given her Dad.

"Making sure you were awake Sleepy head." Lianne grinned. "Now come on, your breakfast is getting cold." She said, turning around and heading back toward the kitchen. Veronica's eyes followed her, taking in the familiar surroundings of the house she had grown up in but had not called home in almost three years.

"Veronica you're going to be late if you keep standing there." Her mother called. Turning back into her room and shutting the door behind her, Veronica, who was still in a state of shock, stood still for a moment, before making her way over to her dresser. Staring at her reflection, she took in her long blonde hair and bright pink pajamas. Surely this had to be a dream, people just didn't wake up 3 years in the past every day, surely there would have been news reports and prodding scientists. Of course it was a dream, calm down Veronica, it's just a dream. Just to be sure she pinched herself.

"Ow!" She gasped. Ok, so pinching hurt. This had to be a dream right, _**right**_?!

"Veronica I don't hear movement in there." Her Mother's voice called. Ok so the time for action was upon her, obviously this reality's version of her mother didn't care that she was currently in the midst of a break down, she just wanted her daughter to get to school on time. Maybe she should play along, maybe if she played out whatever this was she'd wake up and be back in her own bed in her crappy little two bedroom apartment with her dad and her dog.

Decision made, she wrenched open the door of her cupboard and blanched at the outfits she had to choose from, it screamed 'Peppy Princess', and maybe that's who she was in this reality, but it wasn't who she was anymore. Resigned to her fate of a vomit inducing pink preppy outfit, she started shuffling through the hangers before her eyes landed on a long white dress. A dress she had long since thrown out in her reality. Pulling it from its hanger she stared at the dress that represented the night she had lost her last shred of innocence. Maybe it was fate that she saw this particular dress sitting in front of her never worn, or maybe it had something to do with taking back what she had lost that night, her control over her own body. Maybe it was just a silly coincidence, especially since she had bought the dress, still she found herself stripping off her pajamas and putting on the dress. This time around this dress would hold only happy memories.

Pulling on a pair of wedged sandals, she quickly visited the bathroom, before heading down the hall to her mother.

"Morning Mom." She said as she entered the kitchen.

"Oh Veronica, don't you look beautiful." Her Mother cooed and came over to place a kiss on her cheek. "Doesn't she look beautiful Keith?" She asked of her Husband, who already sat at the table in his sheriff uniform. Veronica took in her Father, who looked happier and younger looking than she could remember seeing him look in a long time.

"Absolutely beautiful." Keith Mars said, smiling at his only child.

"Thanks Dad." She said, making her way over to him and kissing him lightly on his balding head.

"Morning Honey, did you sleep well?" He asked.

"Well enough." She smiled back at him, she didn't realise how much she had missed seeing her father look this relaxed. Lianne walked over and placed a plate of bacon and pancakes in front of Veronica.

"Eat quickly, your ride will be here soon." Now focused on the bacon in front of her, her Mother's comment never quite registered until she heard a car horn beeping.

"Looks like your rides her Sweetie." Her Dad reached into his wallet and pulled out a twenty.

"Have fun Honey." She stood up and was quickly ushered toward the door by her mother, reaching over to grab the money her Father offered before a pale pink backpack was thrust into her hands and she found herself out the door.

"Hurry up Ronica, we're going to be late!" A voice called, making Veronica's eyes snap towards the calling voice. She should have known, her Mother was still around and her Father was still sheriff, it was only natural her dead best friend would still be alive...


	2. My dead best friend

"Earth to Veronica, are you coming?!" Lilly Kane's voice called as she waved her hand out of the window of her car, trying to get her best friend's attention. _Relax, _Veronica thought to herself, she could do this, just put one foot in front of the other and walk towards the car. Which is just what she did, trying to ignore the lump that had grown in her throat and the rapid beating of her heart from the sight of her long dead best friend. Just as she reached the car, Duncan opened the door of the front passenger side and reached for Veronica, placing a light kiss on her lips.

"Morning Baby." He greeted with a grin. Veronica smiled back at him, and tried to ignore her screaming subconscious that was telling her she was kissing the wrong boy.

"Ugh, enough with all the sweetness and get your skinny butt in the car already." Lilly's voice whined. Veronica's smile grew, it had been such a long time she had heard Lilly talk that even listening to her whine was enough to make Veronica happy. Duncan opened the passenger door for Veronica with a sweeping bow. Veronica giggled, accepting his offered hand and climbed into the car, Duncan quickly jumping in the back.

"Well it's about time." Lilly smirked, putting the car in reverse. Veronica felt every nerve ending in her body light up just from being this close to Lilly. She felt giddy and like her old self again. Catching Duncan's eye in the rear view mirror, she smiled at him goofily. So maybe she didn't love Duncan anymore in her real time, but it felt good to be reminded of the innocence of her first love, it felt normal. And as the three friends headed towards Neptune High, Veronica couldn't help but feel that just maybe she wouldn't want to leave this reality after all.

Veronica revelled in her new reality, listening as Duncan and Lilly gossiped about the going ons at Neptune High and the party at Dick Casablanca's house that night, occasionally chiming in with an agreement when it was expected of her, but mostly happy to just sit and let it all happen around her, so consumed was she that she failed to realize that they had arrived at the high school until Lilly was pulling into a parking space, right next to a yellow XTerra. _Logan_. How was she going to pretend that she didn't love her best friend's boyfriend?! her boyfriend's _best friend_! How was she going to be able to forget his 'I thought our story was epic speech'? Was Logan the price she would have to pay for having Lilly back?

"Veronica? Helloooo? Seriously where are you today?" Lilly asked, rolling her eyes. In her panic over Logan, Veronica had failed to notice that Duncan had already exited the car and was in the middle of greeting his best friend and that Lilly was sitting across from her looking at her like she'd lost her mind. Veronica was beginning to wonder if maybe she had.

"Hey you wanna go shopping tonight?" Veronica asked.

"Do I want to go shopping? Um is the sky blue, Veronica Mars?" Lilly joked.

"It's blue? Damn all this time I thought it was green." Veronica shot back. Lilly, who looked momentarily shocked at her friend's sarcasm, broke into her first real smile of the day.

"Maybe you should get that checked out." She grinned, before opening her door and exiting the car. Veronica smirked, maybe now she would finally know what Lilly would have thought of the new Veronica.

"Morning Ronnie." Logan greeted her as she walked towards her friends. Feeling her breath catch at the sight of him, she fought back tears before greeting him back.

"So what's everybody doing after school? I was thinking we hit the beach." Logan queried, catching Lilly's hand in his own. Veronica felt a lump form in her throat. Jesus she wasn't back in this reality a day and she already couldn't control the damn water works.

"No can do Lover, Ronica and I are going shopping."

"That's a shame, you know I love any excuse to see you in a bikini." Logan quipped as Lilly laughed and Duncan groaned, from his place next to Veronica.

"Please, you love seeing me in nothing more." Logan made no move to deny it, as Duncan groaned louder in his disgust about his best friend having seen his sister naked.

"While that is true, I was actually talking to Ronnie." Logan smirked. Lilly dramatically gasped and clutched at her chest, before breaking into laughter.

"Logan!" Veronica shrieked, since she knew it was expected, but secretly she hoped it was true.

"Dude that's my girlfriend." Duncan said, lightly socking Logan in the arm.

"What? I'm not going to lie."

As the four friends made their way into the school, Veronica could feel a tightening in her chest. She'd forgotten how much she had missed them. After Lilly's death the three of them had never been the same and in a way Veronica had ended up losing not just Lilly, but all three of her best friends.

At lunch time, Veronica found herself dawdling through the quad so that she wouldn't be the first of her friends to reach the O9er table. She knew that in this time, the O9er's had no reason to hate her and for the most part she was one of them, yet she found she couldn't bring herself to brave the O9er table alone, or maybe it was because she didn't trust herself not to turn into snarky Veronica, instead of the sweet, innocent Veronica they knew. It was as she was reflecting on this, that she saw a young girl with long brown hair hanging in her face, trip, and she and her books go flying. Veronica rushed towards her to help her as laughter filled the quad. The girl, whose hair was still covering her face, scrambled to pick up her scattered books. Veronica dropped to her knees and helped her gather them up.

"Thank you." The girl whispered, not quite looking Veronica in the eye.

"It's no problem." Veronica said, picking up the last book and handing it to the brunette. Just as the book made contact with the rest of her pile, Veronica's and the girl made eye contact.

"Mac." Veronica gasped. Veronica couldn't believe it, there was Mac, sans blue hair and shyer than ever, but she was here, Veronica hadn't really thought about her friends from her other reality being here but it was only natural they would be, except in this time they wouldn't be her friends.

"I didn't realise you knew who I was." Mac blushed.

"Um, of course, with been in school together for like ever." Veronica said, playing up the peppiness that was expected of her to cover her slip.

"Yeah right." Mac mumbled, her cheeks flaming now. "I uh, should go." Mac said, before standing up and racing from the quad. Veronica watched her go and thought to herself that she would seek Mac out again and that maybe the brunette could be her friend in this time as well.

Veronica made her way over to the O9er table where the rest of the Fab Four now sat and sat next to Duncan, who kissed her head before passing her a Chinese takeout container.

"Slumming it Ronnie?" Dick asked from the other side of the table. Veronica just looked at him and remained silent.

"With the weird brunette." He continued, probably thinking Veronica hadn't caught his point.

"You slum it with me Dick." Veronica said, feeling angry now. She resented the way the O9er's saw all of the other students in the school, but mostly she was mad because there was a time where she wouldn't have really thought anything of Dick's comment.

"Yeah but you don't count Ronnie." Dick said nonchalantly and went back to eating.

"Nice to know." She said, rolling her eyes.

"You ok Veronica?" Lilly asked from across the table. Veronica, who hadn't realized that she had captured the attention of Lilly, Logan and Duncan, shrugged like she was unaffected by Dick's 'slumming it' comment and smiled at her friend's concerned faces.

"Fine."

"Really, because you seem kinda different today." Duncan commented. Noticing now that they had managed to capture the attention of the entire table, including Madison Sinclair, who Veronica would rather do any number of horrible things to herself, than look weak in front of.

"Just having an 'off' day."

"Since when do you have 'off' days, Ronnie?" Logan asked, by his tone and accompanying smirk, Veronica knew he was joking, but as she looked around the table, she could see that the other 09ers were nodding their heads in agreement. _Yeesh_ was she really that peppy before? How far had Veronica fallen that she no longer recognised the girl she was before?

"Happens to even the peppiest of us I'm afraid." Veronica assured, smiling and playing with a strand of her long hair, a habit she had long since outgrown. She could see Lilly and Duncan shooting her looks of concern, but thankfully neither chose to comment.

_Phew_. This was going to be harder than she thought.

"So Ronica, where'd you want to start?" Lilly asked, flashing Veronica a brilliant smile, while waving her credit card around Veronica's face. Though the two friends had had many a fight over Lilly spending money on Veronica, and Veronica's refusal to accept it, Veronica knew she wouldn't be leaving the mall today without Lilly having purchased at least 4 articles of clothing for her. The thought of being in a shopping mall with Lilly again made her eyes sting so she looked away before Lilly could notice. It was as she did, that she spotted it. Turning back to Lilly, it was Veronica's turn to smile;

"I want to get my hair cut."


	3. Threesomes, the new girl and Meg

Disclaimer: Obviousy don't own anything you recognise, there are lines straight out of the show in this chapter.

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Veronica admired her new look in the mirror. It wasn't quite her after Lilly's death attire, but it certainly wasn't before Lilly's death attire either.

"Veronica Mars, I am so proud of you!" Lilly gushed from behind her, wiping her eyes and blinking rapidly.

"Lilly, please tell me you are not crying." Veronica said, turning to face her friend and grinning widely, it felt nice to have real Lilly's approval and not just the Lilly she had conjured up in her head after her death.

"How can I not, I've been trying to convince you that you weren't pink fluffy cardigans for years!" Lilly exclaimed, dramatically throwing her hands in the air, before placing them on her hips. Veronica smiled at her friend, before turning around to look in Lilly's floor length mirror once more. It wasn't the old Veronica she saw before her, that girl no longer existed as far as Veronica was concerned, but it wasn't the armour of untrusting, jaded Veronica either. Her dress was blue and sleeveless, it stopped just before her knees, but had an outer skirt that was slightly longer in the front, but longer in the back. Around her waist was a cream belt that match the heels she wore. Her hair cut shorter, now fell to just below her shoulders and she now had a fringe. Her eyes were smoky with eyeliner and mascara with a touch of dark blue eye shadow. The only other makeup she wore was a clear lip gloss.

"You look hot." Lilly said smirking. Her own skin tight dark pink dress falling just short of inappropriate. Veronica hoped Lilly didn't end up too drunk tonight because she doubted Lilly's strapless dress would do a very good job of containing her breasts.

"Come on, let's make an entrance." Lilly said, offering her arm to Veronica. Veronica took the offered arm and flipped her hair over her shoulder;

"Let's."

And make an entrance they did. While Lilly usually drew the attention of everyone in the room whenever she entered it, tonight Veronica could feel that she was very much included in what had drawn their classmates attention.

"Alright Ronnie, looking hot!" Their host called as he approached them, successfully ending the silence that had fallen on the room, people went back to their conversations, sparing glances at Veronica and Lilly every few seconds.

"Hey Dick." Veronica greeted, choosing to ignore his comment for now, it was best not to encourage Dick Casablancas.

"Duncan and Logan here yet?" Lilly asked.

"Out back by the pool. Duncan seen the new you yet Ronnie?"

"No, not yet."

"Well if he doesn't rush you off to one of the spare bedrooms as soon as he sees you looking that smoking, you come tell Uncle Dick and he'll treat you right." And just in case she didn't think he was serious, he followed it up with a pat on the butt that lingered for far too long.

"Don't you have a girlfriend Dick?" Veronica asked, swatting his hand from her behind.

"What she doesn't know..." He replied with a wink that Veronica assumed was suppose to suggestive, but instead made her want to tase him.

"Hey Veronica, Lilly, Dick" Meg Manning greeted as she walked past. Veronica felt her heart stop for a moment. She'd been so caught up in Lilly and the tragedies that were about to befall her that she allowed herself to forget about the bus crash, about Meg's death. She may not have discovered who had caused the crash yet but she mentally added it to the list of things she needed to stop from happening. She forced herself to smile and greet Meg back, at least she had a little while on that one.

As she and Lilly made their way outside, Lilly started giggling.

"I told you that you were covering all that hotness." She said, nodding her in the direction of a group of O9er boys who were openly gaping.

"You'd think they'd never seen a girl before." Veronica scoffed, starting to feel slightly self conscious.

"Can you blame them, you are seriously hot in that dress Veronica Mars."

"Um Lill, I'm beginning to think you want to take me back to one of Dick's spare rooms." Veronica laughed.

"Only if Logan can join us, he'd love that." Lilly says, with a smirk and a wink. Veronica feels her laugh catch in her throat for a moment, what would Logan think of the new her? Would he like it? Would he even see her past Lilly's glow? She knew she would drive herself crazy asking these questions. It wasn't like in her time, her and Logan had Duncan and Lilly. It could never be that way between them in this reality.

"Yeah and how would we explain that one to your brother?" Veronica joked, trying to push aside any thoughts of Logan, especially a naked Logan, in her bed...

"Well I'd say he could join but eww." Lilly laughed and Veronica stuck two fingers in her mouth and faked gagged, causing the girls to both collapse into giggles.

"What's the joke?" Casey Gant asked as they approached.

"Threesomes." Lilly supplied before Veronica could stop her.

"Uhhh..." Was Casey's only response.

"Who's having a threesome." Logan asked as his eyes landed on the girls.

"We are." Lilly said, but Logan was no longer paying attention;

"Veronica?!" Logan's strangled exclamation was enough to get Duncan's attention. He turned around from where he had been chatting with Luke Holderman, his mouth dropping open as he caught sight of his girlfriend.

"Doesn't she look hot." Lilly beamed gleefully.

"Hot ain't the word." Logan said, running his hands through his hair, a sign that he was ruffled by Veronica's new look.

Before Veronica can respond, Duncan has begun moving, he grabbed her arm and started dragging her backwards towards the door. Cat calls could be heard behind them and Lilly shouting something about Veronica being too hard to resist, but all Veronica can really think about is that fact that Duncan is now dragging her down the hall towards a room? Surely Duncan wasn't so overcome with passion he felt the need to ravish her here and now. After all this was Duncan and he had always preferred Vanilla Veronica to the Veronica she became. Besides, Veronica and Duncan as a couple had always been sweetness and not an ounce of any real passion.

As the door to one of the Casablanca's guest rooms shut behind them, Duncan quickly locked the door and then turned to face her.

"Veronica what's going on?" He asked.

"Going on?" She responded, furrowing her brow in confusion.

"You've been acting weird all day and now you show up dressed like that and with the hair. So I want to know, what's going on?"

"Dressed like what exactly?" Veronica demanded.

"Like you've been playing dress up with Lilly."

"Are you suggesting that I look bad, Duncan?!" Veronica asked, really angry now, how dare he think he can tell her how to dress and cut her hair.

"Well you certainly don't look good!"

"Excuse me?!" Duncan, realising his mistake, sighed and brought his hands down over his face in frustration before moving towards her.

"I didn't mean that. You just don't look like you." He grasped her hands in his and Veronica knew this was the moment she was suppose to say it was all ok, that they were ok and go home and stick to pink cardigans and long flowing skirts and grow her hair out. That's what the Veronica of this time would have done, hell she never would have felt the need for a makeover in the first place. The sad truth though, one she knew Duncan was about to learn, was that she was no longer that girl, some mysterious force may have landed her in this reality and that didn't mean she wasn't going to make the most of it, but there was no way she could go around pretending to be that naive little girl anymore, she wouldn't do it. Even if the consequence of that was that she lost Duncan sooner than she was meant to.

"Maybe this is me Duncan." She said, pulling her hands from his.

"No it's not, I know you Veronica and this new look has Lilly written all over it."

"Lilly didn't do anything except support me, all of this." Here she stopped to gesture up and down her body, "Was my idea. So either you have to learn to like it or we are going to have some serious problems."

"Are you saying you're going to break up with me?" Duncan asked, looking wounded.

"I'm saying this is me now Duncan, either love me for it, or let me go."

"We're going to break up over a dress?" He asks, disbelief colouring his tone.

"No we're going to break up because you can't support me. Does this dress really mean that much to you?" The Duncan of her time had tried to overlook the fact that she wasn't the same girl he had loved, but could this one? Did she even really want him to? Veronica knew the answer was yes, she couldn't have Logan, but that didn't mean she couldn't have sweet, reliable, her first love Duncan, right?

"You're right, it is just a dress. You look very beautiful Veronica, but then I've always thought so." He smiled at her and reached out to cup her face, Veronica let him kiss her sweetly on the lips and forced a smile when he pulled away.

"Come on, let's go back to the party."

"Jeez Donut, I don't think you did it quite right, Veronica isn't looking the least bit ruffled." Lilly teased as Veronica and Duncan rejoined them.

"Shut up Lilly." Duncan replied, he let go of Veronica's hand and headed off towards some of his soccer teammates. Lilly and Logan watch him go before turning to look at Veronica.

"I'm guessing he didn't drag you off to ravish you?" Logan asked, arching his eyebrow.

"Hardly." Logan and Lilly both watch her silently, waiting for her to elaborate. Veronica knows Lilly will hound her relentlessly later for details so she might as well get it over with.

"He wasn't impressed. Seemed to think it wasn't me." Veronica shrugged, folding her arms and trying to act nonchalant.

"My brother is an idiot." Lilly declared. Veronica smiles at her friend, thankful that Lilly would have her back over her own brother's.

"An absolute fool." Logan agreed and Veronica thought maybe she was too, because she couldn't help the fluttering her insides felt at Logan's words.

Monday morning arrived before Veronica was ready for it. She'd spent the weekend hanging at the mall with Lilly, grateful for the break from Duncan. She was determined to act as normal as possible, but that hadn't stop her from wearing a new outfit she doubted Duncan would approve of; a jean skirt, off the shoulder black long sleeved top and boots similar to her favourite ones from her own time.

Beeping from a car horn alerted her to Lilly's arrival, so with a quick goodbye to her parents, she was out the door and running smack into Duncan, her body colliding with his, he reached out his hands to steady her.

"Whoa there." He smiled softly down at her. Veronica found herself staring up at him and wondering what was going on. He hadn't walked to her front door to meet her since the beginning of their relationship, was it because he didn't know where they stood after their fight on Friday?

"Duncan what are you doing?" She found herself asking. Duncan sighed and released her hands.

"I just wanted to apologise for overreacting on Friday. I love you Veronica, regardless of what you wear, you're always beautiful to me. And you're right, it isn't my place to tell you how to dress." And because there would always be a part of Veronica that loved Duncan Kane, she found herself replying;

"I love you too." Because she did, but that didn't stop Veronica from wishing she was saying it to a boy with brown eyes instead of blue.

Later that morning the Fab Four were hanging out at hers and Lilly's lockers when Duncan suddenly announces;

"Whoa! New student alert." The other three pairs of eyes flick towards the place Duncan is looking and Veronica barely contains her gasp. Yolanda.

"Glad to see you guys are equal opportunity oglers." Lilly remarks.

"Hey I judge not by the colour of their skin but by the content of their sweater." Logan says, framing a hand in front of his face to zero in on Yolanda's "sweater".

"Good thing I'm not the jealous type." Lilly laughs as the bell rings, the boys kiss their girlfriends on their cheeks and depart, Veronica, seeing that Yolanda was heading towards the teacher's lounge and knowing what was expected of her, approached.

"Dying to know what goes on behind the scenes in the teacher's lounge?" She asks as she reaches the new girl. While she was acting normal on the outside, inside her mind was waring with itself, did she leave Yolanda alone this time around knowing what she would witness happen between Logan and Yolanda, or did she still befriend this totally cool girl and hope this time things would be different?

"This isn't English. Mrs Murphy?" Yolanda asks.

"Not even close." I'm Veronica and your...?"

"New. Yolanda Hamilton." As Yolanda introduced herself Veronica came to a decision, this time around though she would make sure it would be different.

"Let me show you."

By lunchtime that day, Veronica was reminded why she had thought Yolanda would be a good friend the first time around, and so with this thought in mind she didn't hesitate in inviting Yolanda to join them at their lunch table.

"So new girl what does your dad do?" Dick asked, not long after they had all sat down.

"He's one of the Dixie Chicks and yes he makes more money than your dad. Was that your real question?" Yolanda answered. Veronica found herself smiling along with the rest of her friends, she watched as Lilly began to observe the new girl in a different light, her head titled as she calculated the threat this new girl could be.

"You guys prepared for the biggest blow out of all time?" Logan asks.

"Where are your parents going this time?" Duncan smirks.

"Nepal. Sherpas lug their crap up and down a mountain for two weeks so they can take pictures of a yak."

"While I take pictures of you of you yakking in the comfort of your living room." Veronica chimed in, receiving a smirk from Logan for her effort.

"It happens twice a year, his parents leave town, he throws a big party and gets busted. You must be there." Lilly tells Yolanda.

"You must." Veronica agrees.

"I guess I must." Yolanda smiles.

"So what do you think of the new girl?" Lilly asks later that afternoon as they make their way to Lilly's car.

"I dunno, she seems cool." Veronica shrugged.

"Hmm. Guess we'll have to see."


	4. When reality hits

**Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews, follows/favorites and reading!**

**Diclaimer: I do not own the Veronica Mars series.**

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"Logan!" Veronica squealed as Logan tried to force her head under the water.

"You splashed me, what did you think was going to happen?" Logan laughed.

"You stole my drink!"

"Did I?" Logan smirked, "Prove it Ronnie." Logan said coming towards her with a predatory smirk on his face. If Veronica didn't know any better, and she did, right? She would have sworn he was flirting with her.

"Ok, Yolanda whose drink was it?" Veronica asks her new friend, placing her hands on her hips for emphasis as she glances sternly between Yolanda and Logan, though she suspects most of the effect is ruined by the fact that only her shoulders and above is visible.

"Definitely Veronica's." Yolanda replies. Veronica shoots Logan a triumphant grin and sticks her tongue out at him. He pouts and Veronica finds herself envisioning herself reaching over and taking his bottom lip between her teeth. Agh! She needed to stop having these kinds of thoughts about her best friend's boyfriend. Speaking of Lilly, where had she gotten to?

"But I had already finished mine." Logan whines.

"Well if you hadn't of lost the floating cooler you'd be fine, wouldn't you Logan. Now give me my drink." She holds out her hand and continues trying to look stern.

"You know that was Dick not me and you should be nice and share your drink with your dehydrated friend Ronnie." Veronica scoffs and rolls her eyes, boy should have been an actor.

"Dehydrated, hardly. Now give." She sticks out her hand and makes a gimme gesture with her fingers. Logan sulking hands over her drink.

"Geez that's cold Ronnie. DK your girlfriend is turning into an Ice Queen." He says, glancing over to where Duncan is lounging on a blow up lounger.

"Well Logan you know better than to take Veronica's drinks or food." Duncan smiles. Yolanda laughs;

"But she's so skinny." Yolanda says. Logan and Duncan share a look and start laughing.

"What did I miss?" Yolanda asks as she stares between the two boys looking confused.

"She may be skinny, but don't let that fool you, Ronnie could out eat an elephant." Logan tells Yolanda, and laughs harder along with Duncan. Veronica shoots a glare at both boys and seriously questions why she ever dated either of them. So as Duncan floats closer Veronica, simultaneously splashes both her boyfriend and Logan. Logan, still mid laugh, catches a bit of the water in his mouth and starts choking. Satisfied with her revenge on one boy, she floats her way over to a distracted Duncan who is cleaning off his sunglasses, she swims under the raft and yanks the side causing Duncan to topple off and into the water. Yolanda observes it all, laughing from her place on the side of the pool. Duncan emerges from the water spluttering as hands reach around and grab Veronica from behind. She fought to contain the shiver she felt when Logan's big hands wrapped around her waist and his oceany scent wrapped around her. Even after an afternoon spent in a chlorinated pool the boy still smelt like the ocean.

"Oh you are so going to pay for that one Ronnie." Logan says as she picks her up and swings her in his arms.

"Nooo!" Veronica squeals as he flings her into the air, and for a moment she mourns the loss of his hands on her, just before she hits the water she watches Lilly approach looking slightly more ruffled than when she had gone into the house. As she hits the bottom of the pool, she finds the joy of the afternoon has disappeared and the very serious nature of her near future approaches. Literally and figuratively it would seem, she thinks as she surfaces and sees Aaron Echolls approaching behind Lilly.

"Hey, kids." Aaron greets and Veronica wants to vomit. How was she suppose to act normal around Aaron knowing what she did? Knowing what she suspected he and Lilly were doing in the house when Lilly had disappeared. Veronica looked at her best friend as she mumbled a greeting along with the rest of her friends, how could Lilly sleep with Logan's dad? It was a question that had long since bothered her, but what bothered her more was the fact that Lilly was doing it when Logan was around. How could she do that to him?

Her mood now destroyed, she swam her way over to the edge of the pool and pulled herself out of the water. As she turned around to sit on the pool ledge she noticed Aaron was staring in her direction, the look he was giving her creeped her out and made her wish her towel was closer so she could wrap it around herself.

"Did you kids need anything?" Aaron asked, tearing his eyes away from Veronica's bikinied form. The bikini was new, a gift from Lilly, she had normally stuck with one pieces in the past.

"No thanks Dad." Logan says too casually. The original Veronica of this time would have thought nothing of the way Logan lowered his eyes and his whole body tensed, but the Veronica who knew what Aaron did to his son, saw it. How could Lilly, his girlfriend of two years have not seen this? To distract him from his Father's presence and the unpleasant thoughts he might have been having, Veronica kicked out a foot and succeeded in splashing Logan in the face, he turned to her narrowing his eyes in challenge, she grinned and cocked an eyebrow, returning his challenge. She crooked a finger at him, beckoning him to come closer, before standing and making her way further down the pool, closer to Duncan and diving in. When she emerged she had put Duncan and his lounger in between her and Logan.

"You really think you're safe there Ronnie?" He asked grinning widely and advancing towards her, turning his back to his father and effectively doing what Veronica had meant to do when she splashed him.

"DK, you aren't just going to sit there are you?" Logan questioned, swimming closer as Veronica swam further away. Duncan looked on amused between the two.

"Well she did almost drown me." He remarked.

"Oh no, I'm your girlfriend, I get one free attempted drowning every pool trip!" Veronica declared, knowing she'd never be able to escape them both, it would be hard enough challenging Logan who was a fish in water. Out of the corner of her eye, Veronica noticed an amused Lilly had joined Yolanda and Aaron had disappeared.

"So as your boyfriend don't I get one in return?" Duncan asked, looking between Logan and Veronica and grinning before slipping from the lounger into the water.

"No that isn't fair, two on one is not right!" Veronica said backing further away.

"Oh it can be plenty right Ronnie, as long as at least two of the three know exactly what they're doing." Logan said, swimming closer as Lilly laughed in the background. Shooting her eyes to her oldest and newest friend, Veronica yelled;

"What are you two laughing about?! Come and help me!" Noticing the advancing boys had backed her into a corner, she hopped up onto a corner step that lead into the hot tub and prepared to jump up.

"No way, you got yourself into it." Lilly said gleefully. Quite put out that her friend had abandoned her to her fate, Veronica jumped up on the step and hauled her body out of the water just as Logan and Duncan closed in. Ignoring every rule she had ever been told about pool safety and silently thanking Logan's non slip floors, she ran towards Lilly and Yolanda and threw her body behind theirs. The girls squealed as Veronica's cold, water drenched body touched theirs.

"That's cheating Mars." Logan called from his place in the pool beside Duncan.

"Don't care." Veronica replied, crouching further behind her friends. Logan and Duncan smirked at each other before hauling themselves out of the water and heading towards the girls, Lilly and Yolanda, guessing their intentions, quickly scattered as the boys came closer, Veronica, never one to give up until she had run out of options, ran. As fast as she could around the pool towards the pool house and hoping she would make it before the boy's longer legs got them there. Just before she reached the door, arms wrapped around her middle and pulled her back towards a naked chest, she inhaled, chlorine and a hint of woodsy cologne, Duncan.

"No, let me go." She begged, squirming in his arms.

"She's right DK, let her go." Logan agreed from beside them, smirking evilly. Veronica quickly catching on to what he intended started squealing.

"No, no, I take it back don't let me go!" But it was too late, Duncan had reached the edge of the pool and was swinging her into the water before she even realised it. As she headed toward the bottom, she felt another body join hers, opening her eyes she saw Logan watching her with an expression of stunned disbelief and lust? She realised then that there was a certain part of her body he was watching, looking down Veronica realised the force of the impact had pulled her bikini top up, blushing furiously she yanked it down as Logan emerged from the water, moments later when she emerged, she reached out an arm and punched Logan in the arm. Duncan and the girls laughed from the shallow end of the pool where they had all ended up, thinking Veronica was hitting Logan for suggesting Duncan throw her in, but she could see Logan knew why she was really hitting him. He leaned closer to her ear and whispered;

"So worth it." he backed away with a wink and Veronica was forced to contain her shiver of desire and to ignore the throbbing between her thighs.

Later that night as she got into Lilly's car she realised playing with Logan and Duncan had succeeded in distracting Logan from his dad's presence but it had also helped distract her from all the bad things that were coming, things she had to find a way to stop.


	5. Party time

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**Thank you also to Drish29 for your help with this chapter.**

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"Ok for my next boyfriend, Jude Law type or Colin Farrell type?" Lilly asked from her place on Yolanda's bed.

"Next? What happened to Logan?" Veronica asked. Seriously considering what was wrong with her friend that she couldn't appreciate the amazing guy she had.

"He's insanely jealous all the time and it's getting on my nerves."

"I know it's not cool to admit this... But I like a jealous streak on a man, keeps him in line." Yolanda commented, sprawled out over her desk chair. Silently Veronica agreed. Logan's jealously could be hot. Even though she'd never admit it out loud, secretly Veronica had enjoyed all the comments he had made towards her and Duncan back in her real time, it made her think he still cared, even though Veronica knew it was unfair to expect him to.

"All yours, I'm ditching his party." Lilly says,

"Well that means Yolanda and I will have to party for three." Veronica declares, already thinking of ways to get Lilly to attend the party.

"That means Yolanda will have to party for two and half." Lilly says, Veronica rolls her eyes and pokes out her tongue.

"Oh but we're still going to that fleet week thing in San Diego right?" Lilly asks.

"Uh huh." Veronica agrees.

"It's the best. All these weird angry bands play and hundreds of really cute sailors get wasted and fight on the sidewalk." Lilly tells Yolanda and the girls giggle.

"You know I'm really glad I met you guys." Yolanda tells them.

"You should be glad, we're the best." Lilly says and Veronica nods her head in agreement. "Now I can't wait till San Diego, It'll be rocking like Dokken."

The night of Logan's party was upon them before Veronica had managed to successfully figure out a way to stop Yolanda and Logan from kissing. She hadn't managed to convince Lilly to come and she knew if the kiss did happen, she wouldn't be able to not tell Lilly. Even if Lilly did kind of owe Logan one lousy kiss considering what she was doing to him.

"Hey Ronnie, DK, where's Lilly?" Logan asked as he lets them into the house.

"She's sick." Duncan tells him. Veronica watches Logan roll his eyes.

"Sick, right." He murmurs.

"Let me get everyone a drink." Veronica says, attempting to distract Logan, something she seemed to be doing a lot these days.

Veronica left the boys behind and headed into the kitchen where she found a selection of alcohol set up. Pouring the vodka into a glass and worrying about the Yolanda/Logan situation, she accidentally pours too much, she's about to pour some of it into the second glass when she realises, Logan can't kiss Yolanda if he gets so drunk he passes out... Vowing not to let Logan out of her sight for the rest of the night, to insure nothing happens to his overly drunk self, she guiltily pours a little bit more in. This was for the greater good, she assures herself, even as her conscience niggles at her trying to convince her otherwise.

Later that night, after successfully managing to pour all of Logan's drinks, she has succeeded in getting him very drunk.

"You know Ronnie," Logan remarks as she hands him a new drink. "If I didn't know any better, I would swear you were trying to get me drunk."

"Why would I do that?" Veronica laughs to hide her nerves.

"Hmm. Maybe you want to take advantage of me in my drunken state?" Logan slurs, moving closer to her and attempting to wink, due to his inebriated state he is unable to do so and spends a moment fighting with his eyelid trying to get it to obey him. Veronica laughs.

"Logan I don't think I'd need to get you drunk to take advantage of you." He looks surprised by her response, before leaning even closer.

"Oh no Ronnie, you don't want me drunk so I'll be willingly. You want me drunk so you can deny anything happened tomorrow." She laughs and wishes she could fan herself without letting him think he's gotten to her, he's drunk and she still wants to jump him.

"Careful Logan, Lilly's just sick, she's not dead. Not to mention my boyfriend, your best friend." She reminds him, she needs to get them back onto a platonic playing field before the small amount of alcohol Veronica has consumed that night gives her the courage to do what her hormones are screaming at her to do.

"Yeah sick, I believe it." He says with a roll of his eyes. He chooses to ignore the Duncan comment she notices.

Two hours later, Logan is vomiting in his toilet as Veronica stands behind him feeling guilty. She had succeeded in keeping him away from Yolanda but that didn't make her feel any better about getting him drunk. He moans and her guilt worsens. When it seems like he has finally stopped vomiting, she goes in search of someone who can help her get him to his bed.

"Duncan." She says, spotting her boyfriend with Yolanda and a few of the other O9ers. He looks her way and smiles at her,

"Hey Baby." He greets, thankfully he seems sober.

"Hey." She greets as he pulls her into his lap.

"Where have you been?" He asks.

"Watching Logan vomit." He quirks an eyebrow at her response.

"That's actually why I came looking, he passed out in the bathroom." Duncan sighed and like the good friend he is, gently picks up Veronica and places her beside him before standing to go in search of his best friend. Veronica jumps up to follow, and with the help of John Enbom, they manage to pick Logan up and deposit him in his bed. Veronica removes his shoes and pulls the covers over him. She places a glass of water next to him, along with some Aspirin and tries to ignore her guilt. It was for the greater good she reminds herself. They leave the room, taking the key to Logan's room with them, they lock him in, then slide the key under the door. At least she could sleep easier knowing no one could take advantage of his drunken state.

"You're a good friend." Duncan tells her as they make their way outside. They smile at each other and she knows he is seeing the Veronica she was before, the girl he had fallen in love with. Sometimes Veronica wishes she could be that girl again.

The next morning Veronica is up early and on her way to Logan's house, she wants to help clean up, hoping it'll help her alleviate some of her guilt about last night. She's surprised when Logan himself answers the door looking a little worse for wear.

"Logan?" She questions confused.

"Morning Ronnie. I think the folks were expecting this, they gave the maids the day off before they left." He says, leaning against the door and folding his arms as he watches her.

"That's harsh." She says, "And you were just going to clean it on your own?" He shrugs and she knows he likely wouldn't have, that he was already preparing himself for Aaron's punishment.

"Good thing I came." She smiles and pushes her way past him into the house.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why are you here?" He asks as he follows her into the kitchen.

"I came to check on you, you were pretty drunk last night." She begins searching under the kitchen sink for any cleaning products.

"Hmm I wonder why, you see I have this fuzzy memory of this little blonde pixie plying me with alcohol all night so that she could have her wicked way with me." She blushes into the cupboard, so he remembers that conversation.

"And you know the worse part, wasn't the vomiting, or even the killer hangover, no, it's that she chickened out at the last minute and went home with another guy." Her breath catches, is Logan flirting with her? She turns around and their eyes meet, he's watching her in that intense way that Logan has of staring.

"Did Lilly ask you to get me drunk Veronica?" His tone is hard and she can feel his anger radiating off of him. She gasped.

"No, god Logan why would you even think that?" She doesn't have to act outraged, as if she would get him drunk on Lilly's behalf, except that's kind of what she did right? No, she had done it so that Logan wouldn't kiss Yolanda and Lilly and Logan wouldn't be broken up before October 3rd.

"Oh I dunno Veronica, maybe because you followed me around all night plying me with alcohol?!" He's really angry now. What is she suppose to say? I did it so you wouldn't be in TJ on October 3rd when Lilly would be murdered? He'd think she was crazy.

"I felt bad ok, about the Lilly thing and I guess I just wanted you to have fun. But not too much fun because I didn't want you to do anything you'd regret because of me." She tells him in a rush. She watches as his eyes soften and the anger leaves his body, he's shoulder slump and he moves to sit at the kitchen island.

"You were just being a good friend." He says, dropping his face into his hands, "And I'm being a jackass accusing you of things. I'm sorry." He tells her, looking up at her. She wants to tell him to take his apology back, she isn't a good friend, she's letting him stay in a miserable relationship, knowing his girlfriend is cheating on him with multiple guys, including his own dad, just to stop said girlfriend from being murdered. Instead she does what's easier;

"Come on, let's clean this place."

Five hours of cleaning later and the place is finally clean. Logan and Veronica both collapse on the sun loungers completely exhausted.

"Geez who knew cleaning could be such hard work!" Logan exclaims, Veronica shoots him a look.

"Uh those of us who don't have maids Logan." He smiles at her and she quickly returns it. Why couldn't it always be this way, just her and Logan. She knows he's already jaded but she's going to try her hardest to stop him from having to live through the rest, Lilly's death, Duncan's withdrawal, his mother's suicide, Aaron and Lilly's affair and Aaron's arrest and Logan himself being accused of murder, having half of Neptune consider him enemy number one and having his home burnt down, losing Duncan again and losing her, because she knows she hurt him. She was going to make it right this time, except for the losing her part, he would never have to, because he would never know what it was like to have her.

"Thanks for helping me Ronnie." He says, breaking her from her morbid thoughts. He's looking at her intently, as if he is really seeing her. She smiles at him in response.

"Veronica," he clears his throat. "Should I break up with Lilly?" He asks. She freezes, where had this come from?

"Uh... Why?" No! This is not how this is suppose to go.

"Because I don't think it's working anymore, maybe it hasn't been in a long time. I think she's going to break up with me soon anyway." He pauses and looks away from her. "I think she's seeing someone else." He rubs the back of his neck and Veronica knows he is uncomfortable admitting that to her. She's torn, there's the part of her that doesn't want Logan to hurt that wants to tell him to break up with Lilly, but then there's the part of her that knows what comes of it. Lilly would die and Logan would blame her again for him not being there.

"I think you should talk to Lilly, Logan. Maybe this is just a case of a lack of communication." Because what could she say? Be with Lilly because she'd never cheat on you? She couldn't bring herself to lie to him like that. He smiles tightly at her.

"Well thanks again for your help." She knows she's being dismissed, her answer wasn't what he was looking for and they both know it.


	6. Talking

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Monday morning and she still hadn't been able to get Logan out of her head. Somehow he suspected she was lying about Lilly cheating on him and was mad at her for lying. What did he want from her? How could she tell him his girlfriend was cheating on him with his father?! She was mad at Lilly for putting her in this position, surely Lilly was feeling some sort of guilt over the whole thing?

"Good morning Veronica Mars, you're looking chipper." Lilly greeted as Veronica jumped into the front seat of Lilly's car.

"Where's Duncan?" She asks.

"Caught a lift with Logan."

"Oh."

"Don't worry Ronica, we'll be at school soon and you can have all the nauseating Donut love your heart desires." Lilly says, misinterpreting Veronica's mood at her being put out at Duncan not being there.

By the time they had reached Neptune High, Veronica's mood hadn't improved. She was eager to track down Logan and see if she had been forgiven. It was odd, to have a fight with someone, especially Logan, without words, the Logan and Veronica of her time were always quick to fling hurtful words at one another.

She drags Lilly towards Duncan and Logan's lockers under the guise of needing to see Duncan. As the girls approach, she can see Logan joking with Duncan, the moment their eyes meet however, his expression closes off and he becomes broody Logan.

"Donut thank god, I thought Veronica was going to have a meltdown if she didn't see you this morning. She's been little miss mopey every since she got into my car." Duncan's eyes light up at the thought of Veronica missing him that much and she feels momentarily guilty.

"Miss me, Baby?" He asks, holding his arms out toward her, and because it's what's expected of her, she goes into them and kisses him gently on the lips. She hears Lilly gagging behind them and wants to flip her off. She so wasn't in the mood for Lilly Kane this morning.

"Ah young love." Logan's voice chimes in. Duncan smiles and takes Logan's words as a joke, but Veronica can hear the bitterness in his tone. She bites her lip to keep from sighing, keeping her attention on Duncan and ignoring Logan's comment. She can't see him but she can sense he is growing more annoyed, Logan hated to be ignored.

The bell rings and the friends separate. Logan heads down the hall and Veronica follows him, they share the class he is headed to but it would seem he isn't interested in walking with her. They approach the girls bathroom, Veronica's old "office", grabbing Logan's arm, she pulls him into the bathroom, when she stands between him and the door she pulls the out of order sign she had printed that morning, from her bag and slaps it on the door, closing it behind her and sticking the door stopper under it.

"Kidnapping Veronica? Did Duncan get you all riled up and since you knew he'd never have his way with you at school, or well ever, you figured why not good old reliable Logan?" Logan snarks, jumping up to sit on the bathroom counter.

"Logan, shut up." Because that's the only reply she has. He arches an eyebrow and looks amused at her less than creative response.

"You're angry at me." She says, wishing she didn't have to have this conversation.

"Why would I be angry at you Veronica?" What possible reason could I have for being angry at sweet, friend to all, innocent Veronica?!" He demands, jumping off of the counter and moving closer to her.

"Because of our conversation yesterday." She doesn't want to say it, she wants to avoid saying the actual words.

"You mean when I asked you if you thought I should break up with Lilly because she was seeing someone else and you basically told me it was all in my head?" He's really mad and Veronica can feel herself getting angry too. This wasn't her fault, Lilly was the one who was cheating, why was he taking it out on her?

"I told you to talk to her, that's a funny thought isn't it Logan, talking to your _girlfriend _about _your _relationship!" He scowls at her but stays silent.

"Your relationship is just that, your relationship it's none of my business."

"If you knew she was cheating on me, would you tell me?" Logan asks.

"She's my best friend Logan."

"And I'm your friend, or at least I thought I was."

"Of course you are. But I'm sorry, Lilly hasn't told me anything." Which wasn't a lie.

"But you suspect." She doesn't answer, can't bring herself to lie to him, he's the victim in all this, but her face is answer enough.

"Yeah that's what I thought." He says, storming past her and out of the bathroom.

"God Veronica Mars, what is your problem? You've been super moody all day." Lilly remarks on the drive home. It's just the two of them since Duncan is at soccer practice. Lilly's right, Veronica has been moody all day, she can't shake the memory of Logan's face when she had all but confirmed Lilly's infidelity. How could Lilly live with herself every day? Did she really not care about Logan's feelings that much? It was something Veronica had wanted to ask Lilly for a long time and now she was presented with the opportunity to finally get answers, she just worried she wouldn't like them.

"Lilly are you going to break up with Logan?"

"Whoa where did that come from? Are you secretly harbouring feelings for Logan, was it my talk of threesomes the other day? Thinking about throwing me out and taking both boys?" Lilly jokes. Veronica's tightly controlled anger snaps.

"Could you just be serious for a second, please!"

"Ok, chill, I'm sorry I didn't realise this was serious."

"You didn't realise my asking you if you're going to dump your boyfriend of almost two years, was a serious question?"

"Sorry, no and I'm not sure yet, there's something about this time that feels so final." Lilly is serious now.

"So if you don't break up with him are you going to keep seeing the other guy?" Lilly is shocked, her eyes questioning.

"I know Lilly."

"Know what?"

"That you're cheating on Logan, and so does he, well he suspects."

"How do you know?"

"That's hardly what's important here." Veronica says, rolling her eyes.

"Why should I tell him Veronica? I've never made a secret of the fact that I need more than one guy, that I'm not his happily ever after. I'm not the right kind of girl that Logan needs."

"So that makes it ok to cheat on him?!" Veronica is really angry now, how can Lilly have so little disregard for Logan's feelings?

"Do you not see that these are actual human lives, emotions, that you are playing with?! Logan loves you Lilly." She's been so wrapped up in their argument she hasn't realised they are now parked outside her house. Lilly is watching Veronica closely.

"Sometimes Veronica, love isn't enough." She says, as if Veronica is too innocent and naive to understand the ways of the world.

"And sometimes Lilly, it is. Logan is not a toy you can play with, he deserves more than that."

"Well maybe I'm just too selfish for that."

"Bullshit, you are only selfish when you want to be." She swings open the car door, jumps out and slams it behind her, putting an end to their argument. She storms up the drive and she doesn't look back.


	7. The boy in the middle

**Sorry for the delay with this one guys, thank you all so much for the reviews/follows/favourites and for reading.**

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Veronica has never fought with Lilly, not once in their years of friendship. The guilt eats at her for the rest of the afternoon and she finds herself wanting to call Lilly and apologise, but then she remembers Logan's face and the fact that Lilly is sleeping with his dad and she can't.

"You ok honey? you've hardly eaten your dinner." Her father asks later that night. Veronica looks up from her plate, she had been caught in a daze and hadn't realise both of her parents were now observing her closely.

"I'm fine." She tells them, but she can see they are not fooled.

"You know we're always here if you want to talk." Her mother says and Veronica wants to laugh at the irony, yeah right Mom.

"I had a fight with Lilly today." She says, because she needs to tell someone.

"Oh sweetheart, all friends fight it's normal." Lianne tells her.

"Lilly and I don't, we never have before."

"That's not true, I remember you had quite a fight once about a boy, you both liked him and were mad at the other for it." Lianne reminds her. And suddenly Veronica remembers, his name was Josh Collins, he and his family had long since moved out of Neptune, but he had been in Veronica's 4th grade class and she and Lilly had been crazy about him. Their fight had lasted a whole week before Josh started dating Madison Sinclair and Veronica and Lilly realised that no boy, especially one who would date Madison Sinclair, was worth their friendship. They had sworn to each other that no boy would ever come between them again, but it would seem one had.

Veronica sighed, she'd spent the better part of two years wishing for her friend back and now that she had her she was picking fights with her. Why couldn't Lilly just date Logan or break up with him?

The next morning dawned too soon, Veronica moved as slowly as she possibly could going through her morning routine in order to put off having to face school and Lilly. She'd just resigned herself to her fate and is about to ask her dad to take her to school on his way to the Sheriff's station, when she hears the familiar sound of a car horn in her front yard. She walks to a front window, Lilly is in her drive way. Did Lilly not realise that they'd had a fight yesterday? Knowing she'll have to face her sometime so she might as well get it over with, she says goodbye to her parents and heads to Lilly's car.

"Don't worry I am fully aware you're pissed at me." Lilly says as Veronica gets in.

"And you're here because?" Veronica asks.

"I always take you to school."

"So are we just not going to talk about what happened yesterday?"

"I'm going to break up with him."

"Ok." And that was that, the rest of the ride passed with the both of them talking about everything and anything that wasn't to do with Logan Echolls or affairs.

Logan is avoiding Veronica and Lilly, or maybe just Lilly but she can't help but feel like he is avoiding her too. He sits away from her in class, doesn't hang around their lockers during classes and sits at opposite ends of the lunch table then them. If anyone notices, they don't say, at least not to Lilly or Veronica's faces. Duncan acts as if nothing is different and Veronica wants to shake him and demand he face some unpleasantness in his ideal perfect world sometimes.

Lilly acts as if nothing has changed as she chats with Yolanda and some of the other o9er girls about their upcoming trip for Fleet Week. Veronica is angry at Lilly's ability to brush off what's happening, how can she act so normal when she's going to break up with her boyfriend because she's been having an affair with his father?

Thankfully the school day finally draws to a close and Veronica rides home with Lilly and a clueless Duncan, he happily chats about their plans for the following evening and Veronica tries to pay attention and act excited about their date, but instead she is still obsessing over the Logan and Lilly situation. Lilly pulls up her drive way she leans over to kiss Duncan goodbye and gives Lilly a wave as she goes to get out, Lilly's hand shoots out and grabs her,

"Tonight." Is all she says, but it's enough for Veronica, who knows she means she is going to break up with Logan that night. She's relieved but saddened, she gets the feeling this might really be the last time Lilly and Logan break up and suddenly the short time she has had being back in the Fab Four doesn't feel like enough, because she knows they'll never be the same, but she suspects it was inevitable.

Later that night, Veronica is home alone, her dad is still at work and her mom is out with some of her girlfriends, though Veronica wonders if she's really with Jake Kane. Did their affair end years ago or did it end when Lianne left town, but then she remembers the Camelot and suspects it didn't end while they were both living in Neptune.

She's on the floor of the living room working through her Calculus homework when a knock at the door disturbs her. It's 7pm on a Tuesday night, who could that be? She knows it's not Duncan, he'd never show up without calling first, it could be Lilly, maybe seeking comfort after her talk with Logan? She looks through the peephole and is surprised by who she sees standing on her front porch.

"Logan?" She questions as she opens the door.

"Hey Veronica, can I come in?" He ask, his hand is on the back of his head so she knows he's nervous. She gestures him inside and wonders what brought him here. Did Lilly decide not to go through with it? She figures if she had Logan would be two bottles past drunk by now.

"Sorry I didn't call. I just... Lilly came over tonight."

"She did?" Did Lilly tell him Veronica butted her nose into their relationship and now he's mad at her?

"Yeah she broke up with me, said I have you to thank."

"What Logan, that isn't what-" She's lost for words, she did all but demand Lilly break up with him.

"I'm sorry I phrased that wrong. She said I have you to thank for tearing into her about treating me like crap."

"Oh." So he isn't mad at her?

"I just wanted- thank you Veronica, for you know, caring. She told me there's someone else and that she probably would never have told me without you making her."

"I didn't make her." Veronica says, because she didn't, no one can make Lilly Kane do something she doesn't want to.

"No, but your opinion means a lot to her, probably more than anyone's, so that's why she told me."

"I just did the right thing, Logan, anyone would have done the same."

"No, not anyone would tell off their best friend for treating her boyfriend like crap."

"You're my friend too Logan." He smiles at her;

"I'm glad."


	8. Movie nights and bathroom trips

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Veronica Mars.**

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"Come on, you can't tell me you don't think Easy Rider isn't a brilliant movie." Logan said in defence of his favourite movie, beside her. Veronica resisted the urge to roll her eyes, some things never changed.

"I didn't say any such thing."

"But you didn't think it was brilliant!" Logan's passion made her want to smile, so she did.

"It was ok."

"Only ok?!" Why she had never been the biggest fan of the movie he had made her watch on an almost weekly basis during the summer they had dated, she mostly voice her disinterest to get a rise out of him. To see the passion in not only his eyes, but in every part of him, his body radiated his passion for the movie and quite honestly it made Veronica want to jump him, not that there was much that didn't, She missed the way he use to look at her in the same way.

"You need to be educated in the art form of brilliant movies Mars. In fact I think I should be the one to do it." He nodded along with his words, as if they were the best plan he'd ever had.

Before she could stop it, her mind had begun to wander about the other things he could educate her in.

"It's a brilliant idea, don't you think?" Logan asked, snapping Veronica out of her risqué thoughts. She need a cold shower. She'd been affected by the Logan of her time too, even when she'd been with Duncan she had often found herself daydreaming about the kinds of things Logan could do to her, but ever since she'd woken in this time, Logan's "Epic" speech had been playing through her mind regularly and she found it harder to resist him.

"Well?" Logan prompted Veronica. He was smiling at her and Veronica found herself wanting nothing more than to spend the rest of her life sitting on this couch watching movies with him.

"Brilliant." She agreed, smiling back at him.

"Excellent, let's start this weekend." He said, for a moment the two of them stared at each other and Veronica got the sense that Logan was beginning to see her in a new light and while that wasn't such a bad thing, in this reality there was Lilly and Duncan to think of and Veronica found herself crashing back to reality. She finally had Lilly back, and the price she would pay for having her best friend was not having Logan.

"I can't this weekend, Fleet Week with Lilly ."

"Oh." His face dropped and his excitement receded. Was it that she wouldn't be here this weekend or was it the reminder of his ex-girlfriend? It was on the tip of her tongue to invite him along, but she knew she couldn't do that, not only was she too selfish to watch Logan pine over Lilly all weekend, she knew Lilly would be less than pleased to have her ex-boyfriend tag along.

"Maybe next week." He half shrugged and looked lost in thought. Veronica found herself wishing that she could read his mind.

"Yeah," She agreed, "Maybe next week."

By the time Thursday lunchtime rolled around Veronica knew she had been right not to invite Logan along, in the two days since they'd been broken up the Fab Four wasn't the only thing that changed about their social status. Now there existed a divide between the o9ers, those who sided with Lilly and those who sided with Logan. Though it pained her, Veronica was firmly situated on Lilly's side of the silent division. Duncan was the only 09er who hadn't seemed to have chosen sides, Veronica wasn't sure if it was because one was his sister and the other his best friend, or if Duncan was simply choosing to ignore the unpleasantness as he was known to do.

"I so cannot wait for all the men in uniform." Shelly Pomroy said from her place at the table across from Veronica.

"I can't wait to see them out of their uniforms." Lilly said with a little laugh, the girls around the table all laughed, with one of them commenting "You're so bad, Lilly." Veronica rolled her eyes and glanced to her right, at the table where Logan and Duncan were sitting with Dick and a few other o9ers. Dick was entertaining the table with a story that involved a lot of hand movements, that had the guys around the table laughing, Logan included, though he kept wincing every time his shoulder went back too far, it was subtle and to someone who wasn't paying him enough attention, probably unnoticeable. The bell rang and the students headed off to class, as Duncan got up to leave her slapped Logan on the shoulder, causing Logan to wince harder.

He must have felt her looking at him, because his eyes flicked to hers and moved his arm in front of him, as if he were stretching out a kink in his muscles. Veronica rolled her eyes, _yes Logan, that's it, make the pain worse for the sake of covering up your pain, you idiot_, she thought. Why was he in pain? Wasn't Aaron still in Nepal for another week?

"Veronica? Earth to Mars? Are you coming?" Lilly called, causing Veronica to look in the direction of her voice, without her realising it, Veronica was now the only one left at her table, she looked back at Logan, but he had left while she wasn't looking.

"Right, coming." She gathered her things, chucking her rubbish in a bin on her way to Lilly.

"You would have stayed there all day if you didn't have me Ronica." Lilly chuckled, looping her arm though Veronica's.

"What would you do without me?" Veronica forced herself to smile and forget about Logan's obvious injury, it wasn't her problem after all, in this reality she was Lilly's best friend and Duncan's girlfriend, Logan wasn't her concern.

"Probably become a recluse, it'd be safer that way."

"Veronica Mars, it's like I always tell you, life is for living, so live a little."

"Even without you?" Veronica asked before she could stop herself.

"Especially without me, right now I do enough living for the both of us, but what happens when I go off to college? The world hasn't even begun to see the untapped potential that is Veronica Mars." The girls smiled at each other, sharing a look of understanding each other in a way only someone who really knows you can. Veronica felt tears prick at the back of her eyes, this is what she had missed, this was the Lilly she had mourned and called her best friend, the one that Veronica suspected, she was the only one to have ever seen.

But Lilly was right, life was for living and that meant she couldn't shy away from the things she wanted anymore, the Veronica she was in her old life avoided forming trusting emotional connections because she had already been hurt too much, something that had ended up making things worse more often than better, until Lilly's death Veronica had given away her trust freely and while she knew that wasn't something she was likely to ever be able to do again, she was going to make sure that this time around at least, she would give it to the ones who had earned it, starting with the boy who had stood in front of a room full of his friends and peers and told them to get out of his life if they couldn't accept her.

Walking to her locker before her last period of the day, Veronica spotted Logan walking in her direction, the sight of him brought back her promise to herself to find a way to connect to him emotionally this time around, her decision made, her feet pushed her forward and before she knew it, she had taken Logan by his hand and started dragging him towards the girls bathroom, otherwise known as her office.

"Whoa slow down Flo Jo, what's the hurry?" Logan quipped as she pushed him into the bathroom.

"Ah I see, you wanna tak-"

"Yes Logan I brought you in here because I can't resist you any longer and need to have you, right against that sink over there." Veronica drawled sarcastically, with a jerk of her head towards the aforementioned sink, _ah the irony_. For a moment, Veronica suspected Logan hadn't heard her obvious sarcasm because he was staring at her a little dumbfounded.

Finally his brain caught up with his, well not his brain and blinked hard as if he was rejecting the image of the two of them going at it against the sink, from his brain. Veronica wasn't quite so sure she shouldn't be insulted.

"Well why that is an interesting visual, I'm guessing that's not why you dragged me in here?" Logan ask, making his way over to prop his hip against the sink, he acted completely casual, as if a moment ago he hadn't been entertaining thoughts of the two of them doing other things against that sink. Instead of replying straight away, Veronica removed the Out of Order sign she kept in her bag and placed it on the door.

"No I brought you in here to discuss your shoulder."

"What about my shoulder? Because I can assure you Mars, I have other much more interesting body parts we can discuss, I can even provide you with a visual aid." This was so Logan, going straight for the diversion tactic.

"The fact that you kept flinching every time you jostled it too much at lunch." He shrugged with his uninjured shoulder,

"Pulled a muscle, no biggie."

"Take off your shirt Logan." Amusement sparkled in his eyes.

"Why Veronica, don't you have a boyfriend?" He asked, grinning cockily.

"Don't be a jerk Logan, you know that's not what this is about." His eyes softened and his grin slid off his face,

"Veronica, don't worry about it, really."

"Logan, please take off your shirt."

"Why?" He asked, standing up to his full height, she knew he was getting ready to leave.

"Because I know Logan, or at least I suspect, just please take off your shirt." She asked, getting exasperated, why did he insist on being so frustrating?! He eyed her warily and when their eyes made contact, she could see that he knew she knew. Without a word, he pulled his top over his head. Veronica couldn't help herself, she gasped, the right side of his body was covered in nasty purple bruises but his shoulder was the worse.

"Oh Logan."

"Don't, just don't, I don't want your sympathy." He snapped at her, going to put his shirt back on, in his anger and what she suspected was embarrassment, he forgot about his right arm and lifted it too quickly to put his shirt back on.

"Fuck." He gasped, bending over and clutching at his shoulder.

"Logan!" Veronica dropped to her knees in front of him, reaching a hand up to gently caress his face, as if to soothe away his pain. Their eyes locked, they were so close she would barely have to move to kiss him.

"Veronica." Logan said her name gently, as if she were the one in need of comfort. The sound of his voice brought her to her senses and she jerked back from him. She saw his eyes flicker with what she thought might be disappointment as she moved away, she knew she was sure feeing it.

"How?" He asked, as he went back to leaning against the sink.

"I wasn't sure, I guessed mostly."

"And what are you going to do with this information Veronica?"

"Well I'm going to start by getting you some ice."

"If somebody had told me this morning that I was going to end this school day with Veronica Mars seductively rubbing ice up and down my body I would have told them they were crazy."

"I am not _seductively rubbing ice up and down _your body!" Veronica admonished.

"Veronica, we are alone in a room, I have no shirt on and you are indeed rubbing ice up and down my body." He said, gesturing to where she was in fact rubbing ice along his shoulder. She couldn't help but laugh, because maybe she had been unconsciously trying to seduce him with the ice. He laughed too and looked back at her over his shoulder, they shared a look and Veronica found herself getting flustered.

"It's not my fault this seemed like the best way to ice it all." Her comment seemed to bring Logan back into reality as to what she was really icing, he expression closed off and the laughter left his eyes.

"Are we going to talk about it?" He asked.

"If you want to."

"You aren't going to force me to tell your sheriff father?" He asked, looking a bit incredulous.

"Not if you don't want to."

"I can't Veronica, nobody would believe me that _The_ Aaron Echolls was a child abuser. Nothing would come of it, except fiercer punishments." He searched her eyes, imploring her to understand.

"Ok." She said.

"Just ok?" He asked.

"Yeah ok, I don't have to like it but I do understand it, because I don't, like it I mean." She said, a little too fiercely.

"No, you don't have to like it, but thank you for respecting my wishes." Logan told her, they were caught in their weird eye contact thing again,

"I thought your dad was in Nepal?"

"Came back early, his agent had an important script he just 'had' to read." Logan drawled mockingly.

"Logan?"

"Mm?"

"Promise me that when it happens again you'll let me help you, like this." She said, holding up the ice so that he understood her request.

"I promise."

So lost in thought about what taking her old trusty taser to Aaron Echolls would be like, was she, that she failed to noticed when the swung open_. The door jammer, how could she have forgotten to jam the door?! _She felt Logan tense underneath her hands as a brunette girl, who was too occupied by her wet shirt to notice what she had walked in on, entered. Veronica held her breath and willed the girl to walk out before looking up. No such luck, the girl's eyes shot up and widened in surprise at seeing Veronica and Logan seated on the sink together. Veronica felt her breathe release in relief.

"Um..." The girl said, seemingly lost for words for the moment.

"Didn't you see the out of order sign?" Logan asked, his mask had fallen and knowing him the way she did, Veronica assumed he was assessing the girl for any weaknesses he could exploit to make her keep her mouth shut. The girl blushed and looked down, her hair falling into her face. Veronica felt her eyes narrowing, regardless of Logan's need to keep his secret, watching this girl being intimidated wasn't something she would ever be able to do.

"It's ok, this is a public bathroom after all, and I'm guessing you were distracted." The girl looked up in surprise and something Veronica thought might have been caution.

"I was just helping Logan here ice his shoulder, he hurt it when he fell of his board surfing and is too stubborn to seek medical attention."

"Oh." The girl said.

"Don't listen to her, she doesn't want you to know the real truth." Logan said, casually, well as casual as one can with a shoulder injury, leaning back against the mirror. If Veronica wasn't so damn good at her poker face, she might have let her mouth drop. What was he doing, she'd already given him a good cover story and now he was blowing it?!

"And what pray tell, Mr Echolls, is the truth?" Veronica asked him. Instead of answering her straight away, Logan made eye contact with the other girl and told her;

"She likes to beat me up, gets her hot." Logan's answer was completely casual and he smirked at the girls as if he didn't have a care in the world. Veronica on the other was ready to murder him, her face was bright red from blushing and she did not like to blush or have people thinking she had weird fetishes, especially with people who were her best friend's ex and not her boyfriend. If she thought she was red, it was nothing compared to the other girl.

"Ignore him, he thinks he's funny." The girls shared a smile.

"I know I'm funny Mars." Instead of answering, Veronica kept her attention on the other girl.

"So looks like you could use a sink."

"Oh right." She looked down at her shirt as if she had completely forgotten about the giant stain.

"What did you have a fight with?" Veronica asked as the girl started scrubbing at her shirt.

"An orange juice." Mac grinned.


	9. When the truth comes out

**Thank you to everyone who favourited/followed/ read the last chapter! Sorry I haven't had a chance to reply to reviews as yet, just know I really appreciate them :)**

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"Veronica? Earth to Mars?"

"Huh?"

"Finally, I've only been trying to get your attention for the last 5 minutes." Veronica had been lost in thought about when she had last seen Logan on Friday and evidently been oblivious to Lilly trying to get her attention.

"Are you ok Veronica?" Yolanda asked from the backseat.

"I'm fine, just a little tired." Veronica lied, forcing a smile.

"Don't blame you, not like we got much sleep this weekend." Lilly laughed and Yolanda joined her.

"You might not have gotten much sleep this weekend Lil, but I think Veronica might have managed a bit more." Yolanda laughed.

"That's because she's in love with Donut and believes in monogamy." Lilly said, her voice with dripping with derision.

"So you would be completely ok with me cheating on your brother?" Veronica asked.

"What Donut doesn't know wouldn't hurt him, besides somebody needs to help you unleash that wild side I know you have." Veronica found herself smiling, sometimes even she couldn't believe the things that came out of Lilly's mouth.

"You seem so sure I have a wild side Lilly."

"It's a gift, I can see the unleashed wild side in everyone who needs my help to be corrupted." Lilly smirked at her.

It wasn't until later that morning as she saw Duncan and Logan approaching and smiled at them, that she realised what day it was. Duncan, pretending he didn't see her, kept on walking, just like he had in her original past, only this time instead of throwing his arm over Duncan's shoulder and ignoring Veronica, Logan stopped and looked between Duncan and Veronica in confusion.

"Yo DK, what's up?" She didn't hear Duncan's response, but Logan looked angry for a moment before looking back at her in sympathy. Veronica was furious, the old Veronica had only ever been heartbroken by Duncan's withdrawal, but in this reality she was just plain old pissed. Moving quickly, she followed after the boy's retreating backs.

"Duncan." She called, he ignored her but Logan looked back at her. She flicked her eyes towards the girl's bathroom and he nodded slightly. Just as the boys went to pass, Logan shoved Duncan into the bathroom with Veronica following behind.

"What the hell Logan?!" Duncan asked as he turned to face his best friend who stood guarding the door. Veronica stood next to him and glared at Duncan, how could someone who was so kind usually, break up with her by choosing to ignore her?

"Funny, I was just about to ask you the same thing?" Veronica snapped at Duncan.

"Look Veronica, we're over, ok?" Duncan said, looking down so he wouldn't have to make eye contact.

"Oh yeah I got that, I meant what the hell you're just going to ignore me and pretend nothing ever happened between us?!" Duncan sighed,

"It isn't like that."

"So you ignoring me before was what? My imagination?"

"No. I just. You don't understand." Duncan finally looked up at her, his eyes pleading with her to let it go, Duncan never had been one to confront unpleasantness. Maybe in her other life Veronica would have let it go, but in this new reality she didn't want there to be secrets, life altering secrets, between them. So like a dog with a bone, she kept at it, because hey, she's Veronica Mars.

"So clue me in Duncan, help me understand. Don't you think you owe me that at least?" They stood for a moment, staring into each other's eyes, though she didn't know what he was thinking, she thought she saw the exact moment he decided to tell her the truth.

"I didn't want to hurt you Veronica." His voice sincere, he pleaded with her to understand why he had done what he'd done.

"And you didn't think ignoring me wouldn't hurt me?" She asked, hoping he wouldn't notice she hadn't said anything about him breaking up with her.

"My mum told me something this weekend, about your mum." Veronica withheld a sigh, obviously she was going to have to coax this out of him.

"What did she say?"

"She said that..." He paused and Veronica found herself with a sudden urge to hit him a few dozen times.

"Whatever you have to say, I can handle it Duncan." He still hesitated, and maybe she didn't really blame him because there was a time, a Veronica, one that Duncan knew well, who might have been distraught by the news.

"I can't take this back after I tell you."

"Duncan, whatever you're about to tell me is either going to hurt me now or in the future, nothing stays secret forever and I'd rather hear it from you." There, hopefully that worked. And she thought it might have because she could see the resolve on his face.

"She said that your mom and my dad are having an affair."

"What? Does my dad know? Why would she tell you this?"

"I don't know if your dad knows, but she told me because she thought I needed to know."

"Why would you need to know?" She asked, like she didn't already know the answer. He began staring at her again and pleading with his eyes to not make him have to tell her that they might be siblings. Not that she was suppose to know that.

"Duncan, tell me." He sighed and flicked his eyes towards Logan.

"I'll just wait outside." Logan said, taking the hint.

"No." Veronica stopped him before he could leave. The boys both stared at her.

"I'm sick of all the lies. Just tell me." She wanted to tell Duncan that this was all for nothing, that they weren't siblings, but she wasn't suppose to know that yet, so she kept quiet and just watched him. _Come on, Duncan_, she thought, _just tell me_.

"She thought I should know because you could be my sister." She heard Logan's intake of breath from beside her.

"So we will get a DNA test." Duncan looked at her like she was crazy and she could feel Logan's questioning stare.

"That's all you have to say?" Duncan asked, looking concerned, most likely for her mental health.

"That's all I can say right now Duncan, I don't want to think about what everything you just said could mean. We should get a DNA test done as soon as possible so we can know." He nodded his head and she knew he knew, well at least that he thought he knew, why she was acting the way she was. Before anything more could be said, there was a knock at the door.  
"Yo Logan, Clemmons is on his way." Dick's voice came through the door. Logan looked at Veronica and Duncan, waiting for their ok, before pulling open the door.

"Dick what's going on?" Logan asked.

"I saw you, Duncan and Ronnie walk in here all serious, so I figured I'd guard the door, only one of the chicks I wouldn't let in went to find Clemmons." The three members of the Fab Four currently present looked at each other in amusement.

"Thanks Dick." Logan told him, making his way out of the bathroom with Veronica and Duncan following. As she separated from the boys and headed towards her first class, Veronica felt for like she might have made her biggest change yet in this reality and that everything was going to go downhill from here. It was time she had a little chat with her mother.

"Mom?" Veronica yelled as she walked in the front door, slamming it behind her.

"What's wrong Sweetie?" Lianne asked from the kitchen. As Veronica stood facing her mom in their old kitchen, she was suddenly overwhelmed with an unwillingness to bring up the affair and break up her family. Was it really her place to do so? But the she thought of Keith, who yes had suffered when Lianne's affair had come out, but she suspected in the long run it was the right thing to do. Her dad deserved the truth and he deserved better then somebody who had spent years cheating on him to the point that she didn't even know who her child's father was. There was also the fact that Lianne had known Duncan could be her brother and had still let her date him. Lianne needed to learn that what she had done wasn't right and though it may hurt her to have her parent's marriage break up once again, she knew that this was about more than her own feelings.

"So Duncan had something interesting to say today."

"Oh what was that?" Lianne smiled encouragingly at her daughter, which only succeeded in making her angrier. Would Lianne have ever told her the truth if Duncan and Veronica had gotten married, had children?!

"Yeah, he said Celeste told him you and Jake have been having an affair for years." She watched as her Mother's face closed off.

"Celeste Kane is a very vindictive woman Veronica." Veronica saw red, even confronted with the truth she was still attempting to lie.

"She also said Jake Kane might be my biological father. Is it true Mom?!" Tears gathered in her eyes as she watched Lianne.

"Veronica you don't understand."

"Understand what, Mom?! That you've been letting me date my brother?! That you've been cheating on Dad for who knows how long and that he might not even be my real father?! Tell me Mom, what don't I understand?"

"Jake and I... We were high school sweethearts and I guess one day we found ourselves married to other people and suddenly it was too late. We can't help how we feel Veronica, you're too young to understand that sometimes you love somebody so much you'll take them any way you can." That was her excuse? It made her ok to do what she had done because they were in love?!

"I may be young Mom, but I'm old enough to understand that being in love with someone doesn't give you the right to cheat on your husband for years, lie about your child's parentage and let her date her potential brother. That isn't love Mom, that's selfishness. Tell Dad the truth, or I will." She'd hoped to keep her family together this time around, but she couldn't let Keith remain married to a woman who had so little regard for his feelings and didn't see the amazing man that he was. Her mother would always be selfish and it was time she accepted that.

"Did you ever intend on telling us? If we got married when we were older and had children? Were you going to tell us then?!"

"No. We couldn't."

"You _couldn't _tell us? No Mom you were just too selfish to tell us."

"Veronica..." Lianne started, but was cut off before she could finish making whatever excuse Veronica knew she was about to make.

"Veronica why don't you go to your room." Keith's voice cut in from behind her, shocked she spun around to face her Father, he stood in the doorway with a hard look on his face as he stared at Lianne.

"Dad..." Veronica started, though she didn't really know what else to say. Did he hate her for butting in? He took his eyes off of Lianne to look at his daughter, his eyes softening.

"It's ok sweetie." And she knew he meant that he wasn't mad at her.

"I'm going to go for a drive." She announced, grabbing her keys for her rarely used Le Baron, she headed out the door, as she passed her father he reached out and squeezed her shoulder softly, causing Veronica to almost become a sobbing mess. There weren't enough words in the world to describe her love for this man, he had just discovered his wife had cheated on him most of their marriage and that his only child might not even be his and here he was trying to comfort her.

She knew where she was going the moment she made the decision to leave. She just hoped they would be home.

She made her way up the stairs, thankful the maid had announced that while the children were home, their parents were out for the evening. She wasn't ready to face Jake and Celeste yet, but she had been willing to do so to see their children. It wasn't just Lilly and Duncan she was here for, it was Monday night and Monday had long since been game night for Duncan and Logan.

She was outside Duncan's door when she heard voices.

"What do you think Veronica's doing right now?" Lilly's voice spoke.

"Standing right here." She said, pushing open the door.

"Veronica." Lilly said, taking one look at her tear streaked face and jumping up to hug her.

"I'm so sorry Ronica." Lilly said, rubbing her hand up Veronica's back in a soothing gesture.

"Did you speak to your Mom?" Duncan's voice asked. Veronica pulled away from Lilly and went to stand in front of the couches Duncan and Logan were sat on.

"Yeah I spoke to her. She was all 'We were in love and love makes you do selfish things blah blah blah.' And then I asked her if she had ever intended to tell us the truth, you know if Duncan and I ever got married of had children and you know what she said? No."

"That is so wrong." Lilly said from beside her and Duncan and Logan nodded their heads in agreement. Poor Duncan looked like he might be sick.

"We need to get a paternity test done." Lilly announced.

"Do we really want to know though?" Duncan asked. Logan and Lilly looked him like he was crazy, but Veronica understood where he was coming from, it was easier to cope with thinking your ex? girlfriend was your sister if you didn't have actual confirmation of it.

"Of course we want to know Donut. Veronica could be our sister!" Lilly said and Veronica could see she was pleased by this news.

"I know that's why I don't want to know."

"It could be worse, You could have had sex." Lilly said, looking almost delighted by the sickness of it all. Duncan, Logan and Veronica simultaneously groaned in disgust.

Two hours later and Veronica and Logan headed out of the Kane house towards their cars. After Lilly had declared they should do something to "help them ignore the soap their lives were becoming", they had spent the last two hours playing Crash Bandicoot and talking about everything that didn't include potential siblings, cheating parents and awkward break ups. Lilly had asked Veronica to stay the night, but since she had avoided the elder Kane's this long, she was hoping to put it off a little longer.

"So you're probably not looking forward to going home right now." Logan said as the reached his yellow eyesore of a car.

"I'm sure it'll be fun."

"You know." He stopped to running his fingers through his hair. "You could stay at my place." Stay in Logan's house, with him? She felt her stomach flip. _This doesn't mean anything Veronica, he's just trying to be a good friend. _She lectured herself.

"Are you sure your parents won't mind?"

"Nah, they like you." He smiled at her and shrugged his shoulder as if to say he wasn't sure why. She rolled her eyes and he smirked.

"Please just check." She didn't want his father to be mad at him. She could Logan knew what she was thinking, so with a sigh he extracted his phone from his pocket and hit a number on his speed dial.

"Hey Dad, listen Veronica is in need of a place to spend the night-" He paused for a moment as he listen to Aaron speaking, most likely wondering why the Sherriff's daughter couldn't go home.

"It's a long story. Would it be ok if she came back to our place?" He paused and waited for Aaron's response. After hanging up the phone he smirked and said;

"Told you they like you."

"So that's a yes?"

"You bet."

"Thanks Logan."

"It's my chance to help you." He smiled and she couldn't help but swoon a little. Why did it feel like every moment she spent with this boy made her fall a little harder?

"I should just check with my dad." She tells him, pulling out her cell phone. It rings twice before Keith answers.

"Honey are you ok?" Is the first thing he asks which makes Veronica love him a little more, a feat she didn't think possible, trust her dad to be concerned with her wellbeing when his marriage was crashing down around him.

"I'm ok Dad. I was just calling to tell you I don't want to come home tonight. Would it be ok if I stayed at Logan's? I'm not ready to stay at the Kane's."

"Sure honey, I understand. And Veronica?" She was surprised by his easy acceptance at her staying over a boy's place, especially Logan's, but of course he thinks Logan is her friend and Lilly's boyfriend and not the person the Keith in her time didn't like.

"Yeah Dad?"

"I love you." She blinks back tears, wishing she could just tell him the truth, that she was his daughter.

"I love you too, Dad."


	10. Sleepovers

**Thank you to everyone who has read/reviewed/followed/favourited, I appreciate it so much!**

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"Hello Veronica." Aaron greeted her as she walked in the door with Logan beside her. She suppressed a shudder, hopefully he would disappear soon and she wouldn't have to spend too much time being around him.

"Thanks for letting me stay over, Mr Echolls." He leered at her and she had to stop herself from backing out the door, ok so maybe it was suppose to be a charming smile, but how else was she suppose to feel this close to her best friend's murderer, not to mention hers and her dad's almost murderer?

"No problem, you're welcome here anytime, though I did think you and Logan were both dating the Kane children." Veronica felt her eyes widen, he was letting her stay here because he thought she and Logan were dating, she really shouldn't be so surprised.

"Dad. That's not what's happening here." Logan said. It was Aaron's turn to look surprised,

"Oh I hope everything is ok at home Veronica?"

"Dad, Veronica's tired she's had a long night and we have school tomorrow."

"Of course. It was nice to see you Veronica." And with those parting words he was gone. Veronica sighed in relief. She really needed to find a way to get Aaron put in jail without Lilly having to die.

"Come on." Logan said, gesturing towards the stairs. He led her to a guest bedroom across from his own.

"So there are towels and new toothbrushes in the bathroom and I'll just go and see if Trina left anything you can wear." He was out of the room before she could stop him, she could sense that something had upset him. When he came back five minutes later, she was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for him.

"Here it's the best I could find." He held up a purple nightgown with a picture of two bears embracing with the words 'I love you beary much' written underneath them. Veronica felt her heart stop and the stinging in her eyes, of all the nightgowns in all the world... Logan took her silence for distaste because he laughed and said;

"I know it's hideous, I'm guessing that's why she chose to leave it behind. I wonder who bought it for her."

"It's...cute." Veronica said, forcing herself to laugh. Oh this was harder than she thought it would be. Suddenly the reality of her situation hit and she really wanted to laugh now, was this karma for dating Duncan after she and Logan broke up? Or for even breaking up with him the first place? She wouldn't cry, she was Veronica Mars, teenage private eye, she was stronger than that.

"So you probably want to get changed and go to bed, so here." He said, holding out the nightgown.

"Logan are you ok?" She asked because suddenly she remembered he was acting strangely.

"Fine, why wouldn't I be. You're the one who found out Duncan might be your brother today." Right, she'd forgotten she was suppose to upset about that...

"You've just been acting stranger since your Dad..." She trailed off, how could she be so stupid, of course he was acting strange.

"I meant what I said Logan, I won't say anything." He looked at her then, really looked at her and she got the sense he was analysing her again.

"How did you know that's what I was worried about?"

"I didn't, I guess I guessed."

"Veronica, I know it isn't easy what I'm asking of you, especially asking you to act normal around him." The expression on his face was one she knew well, it was that of a lost little boy and it made her want nothing more than to move across the room and hug him, but she couldn't because in this reality he wasn't hers, and he never would be.

"I'm major, I roar! I swear I'm not a whore! We cheer and we lead! We act like we're on speed! Hate us 'cause we're beautiful! Well, we don't like you either! We are cheerleaders, we are cheerleaders...ROLL CALL!" She could see Logan looking at her in amusement as she sang and danced along to the opening number of Bring It On, but she didn't care, she had loved this movie since her and Lilly had first seen it.

"Call me Big Red! I'm W W Witney! C C C Cortney! rrrr! Dude it's Darcy! I'M BIG BAD CARVAR! YEAH! Just call me Casey! (ooof) I'm still Big Red." He obviously couldn't contain his amusement any longer because he started laughing, a big loud belly laugh that him wiping away tears. After their conversation about Aaron he had asked her if she wanted to watch a movie so now they were both on his bed, a fact she was trying to ignore, watching Bring It On, her choice, she hadn't watched it since Lilly's death and it brought back memories of hours spent dancing around Lilly's bedroom singing and dancing to it. She paused the movie and turned to look at him.

"Logan this movie is a classic." She reprimanded him, which only caused him to laugh harder. She huffed and couldn't help smiling down at where he was lying next to her laughing.

"This is not a classic Mars, Easy Rider is a classic." He said when his laughter finally calmed down.

"You and that movie." She said, shaking her head at him.

"I am going to get you to love it."

"You can try."

"Starting now?" He asked hopefully and she had to laugh.

"No way, I'm the guest, I get to chose." He rolled his eyes.

"Fine." She smiled at him brightly.

"Brilliant, now let me start it again because some buffoon's laughter stopped me from being able to hear it." He brought his hands up into a praying action and lifted his eyes to the roof,

"Lord give me patience to make it through the next hour and half, or you know a power out would be great." She shoved him.

"Shut up." They grin at each other, but not for long because then the opening song starts and Veronica can't help herself;

"I'm sexy, I'm cute! I'm popular to boot! I'm bitchin'. Great hair!"

_My bed is so much more comfortable than usual_, she thinks as she rolls over, throwing out and arm as she does it collides with something solid. She has a moment of panic as she wonders what it could be, she cracks open one eye and remembers. She's slept at Logan's, and in his bed apparently, because that solid thing she hit? That was him. He was still sleeping, facing her, so close she could make out each individual eyelash. She shouldn't be here, lying this close to him in bed. He was her best friend's very recent ex boyfriend and it was time she remembered that. She carefully gets out of the bed, trying not to jostle it too much and disturb him. She goes across the hall to the guest bedroom where was suppose to stay and changes into her clothes, she folds the nightgown and places it on the bed and finds a pen and paper. She writes Logan a note thanking him for letting her stay but that she had wanted to go home before school. Dashing down the stairs she almost makes it to the door before a voice stops her.

"Good morning Veronica, leaving before breakfast?" Aaron Echolls voice freezes her.

"Ah yes I wanted to get home and change before school started, thank you for letting me stay again."She turns to leave but in her haste, succeeds in tripping over a table in the entrance hall. Hands catch her before she falls and she suddenly finds herself in close proximity to Aaron.

"You know Veronica, I can't help but notice what a beautiful young woman you're growing into." He says, not letting go of her.

"Um thank you sir." She says, but she really wants to tell him to get the hell away from her.

"Call me Aaron, Veronica, you're old enough now."

"Thank you, Aaron."

"See now that wasn't so hard."

"I should go, my dad's expecting me." She says, hoping the reminder of her father, the local sheriff will get him to back away. It works, he instantly releases her.

"Of course, we wouldn't want to keep Sheriff Mars waiting."

"Bye Mr Echolls." She says as she opens the door and walks to her car trying to contain her urge to run. Aaron had never hit on her when she first lived in this reality, so why would he now?

Both of her parent's cars are still in the driveway when she gets home and she finds herself hesitating outside the front door, she doesn't know what she's about to walk in on, so to delay her entrance she whips out her phone and sends a text to Lilly;

Veronica: Don't worry about picking me up, I'll drive myself.

Lilly: U OK?

Veronica: Fine, just might be a little late.

Lilly: I dnt mind bein l8 ?

Veronica: Nah it's fine.

Lilly: K 3

She knows Lilly wouldn't care about being late, but right now, after her mother's infidelity being exposed and her night with Logan, she just doesn't feel like facing her best friend. Instead she reminds herself that she faced far worse things and forces herself to open the front door. Her mother is sitting at the kitchen table crying, there are bags piled next to the front door but her father is nowhere in sight.

"Veronica, you're home." Her mother says, standing up and heading towards her as if to hug her.

"Stop. Don't come near me." Her mother stops, a pained look on her face.

"Veronica it doesn't have to be like this."

"Be like what? Me being mad at you for letting me date my potential brother?! For cheating on Dad? Do you honestly expect that I'm just going to be fine with this? Forgive you and act like nothing's wrong?!"

"Veronica I didn't tell you because it was for the best." Veronica could feel her vision blurring, her anger becoming too much for her to suppress.

"The best for who, Mom? Don't kid yourself this was all about what was best for you!"

"Veronica I am still your mother and I will not be spoken to like this!"

"Then leave already, because this is all you're going to get." Her anger had her focused purely on Lianne so it was a surprise to Veronica when she felt someone touch her arm.

"Dad." She hadn't even seen where he'd come from.

"Veronica, those aren't you mother's bags."

"What?"

"I'm going to stay with Cliff for a few days until I find a place." Veronica was confused. Her Dad was leaving?

"I'll come with you."

"No, your mother and I discussed it and we think it wouldn't be right to uproot you right now."

"But I don't want to stay with her." Tears pooled in her eyes, her dad would never leave her.

"She's your mother." It was left unsaid but Veronica knew what he really meant was _I might not even be your father_. This couldn't be happening, Keith was suppose to be the parent who loved her unconditionally, would that have really changed if he had found out Veronica wasn't really his? She wanted to tell him the truth, tell him she was his daughter and not Jake Kane's. And yet she also wanted him to say it didn't matter, that she would always be his regardless, but he didn't, instead he kissed her forehead, grabbed his bags and headed out the door.

"I'll call you, ok?" He said as she watched him load is car.

She still couldn't quite believe it as she watched him drive away, her father was her hero, he'd always been her rock and for a long time the only person she could count on, the one person who loved her, faults and all, but for the first time in her life, she suddenly wasn't so sure.


	11. Keith

**AN: So sorry about the wait for this one guys, life's been pretty busy at the moment and I had some pretty bad writer's block. **

**Thank you for reading and for all the reviews/favourites and follows.**

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How do you go about your day acting like everything you've ever known about your life isn't crumbling down around you? Keith was the man who jumped through fire for her, was she really suppose to believe that finding out he potentially wasn't her father would really drive him away?

She went to school because her other option was to stay home with Lianne and that was so not happening. She messaged Lilly and told her not to pick her up, she wasn't sure she could handle seeing either Kane right now. Parking away from where the o9ers generally parked, she could see Logan leaning against the back of his car actively searching the car park. She had a feeling he was searching for her so she let herself get swept up in a group of students walking up to the school and hoped he wouldn't see her. She couldn't face him yet, not with Keith's rejection still so fresh in her mind, not after last night. She longed for a comforting presence, somebody who didn't make her feel like a jumbled mess inside, someone she could just count on to sit by her side and just be there, she wanted Wallace. But he wasn't in Neptune yet and he didn't know her. She suddenly found herself overwhelmed with a feeling of homesickness, for the first time after waking up here, she suddenly just wanted nothing more than to go home.

She's hiding in the journalism room at lunch time, even though she doesn't even take it yet. She just can't bring herself to face her friends. She'd made sure to enter every class right on the bell so that Logan and Duncan couldn't talk to her and to be the first out the end at the end of every lesson, she'd heard Logan calling to her after the two lessons they shared but she ignored him and kept on walking.

"Oh hey." A voice greeted her. Looking up, Veronica was surprised to see Mac in the doorway.

"Mind if I join?" She asked, sweeping her hand in front of her to indicated the computer in front of Veronica.

"No go ahead."

"I don't want to interrupt if you want to be alone." Mac says, still hesitating in the doorway. Veronica smiles and feels a little of the ache inside of her ease, with everything that is different at least there is still a part of Mac that is still the same.

"You won't be." After a moments consideration, Mac seems to decide Veronica is telling the truth and moves to sit down.

"Did you..." Mac begins but pauses.

"Did I?" Veronica prompts, wishing this was her Mac who wouldn't be afraid to tease an answer out of Veronica.

"Did you want to talk about whatever it is that has you hiding in here?" Mac asks and Veronica can see she is already regretting asking, afraid of Veronica's reaction. Veronica smiles to reassure Mac that she hasn't done anything wrong.

"It's way too complicated for one lunch time." Mac nods, considering Veronica's answer before responding,

"You could still try if you want." And Veronica does want, she wants to just blurt the whole sordid story about, but she can't, because even though this is Mac, even she would have a hard time believing it. So instead she goes for what's easiest to explain.

"I found out my Dad might not be my dad and this morning he just left, like he doesn't love me anymore." It isn't until she says it out loud that Veronica realises this is what she fears most, that Keith doesn't love her anymore.

"I'm sure that's not true." Mac says quietly and Veronica can see in her eyes that she believes it.

"Then why did he leave?" Veronica can hear the childlike tone to her voice but can't bring herself to care.

"Maybe.." Mac pauses as if she isn't sure she can continue, she looks up at Veronica and the two girls make eye contact, something Mac must see in Veronica's eyes must be the answer to a silent question because she continues;

"Maybe he wasn't given a choice." Wasn't given a choice, who would have that kind of power- but as she thinks it, she realises, are Jake and Lianne together still? Would he force Keith to leave Veronica? Would Lianne really stoop that low? But really, Veronica muses, she had already sunk lower when she didn't tell Veronica the truth when her and Duncan started dating. She needed to see Keith, like right now.

"I have to go." She tells Mac.

"Yeah, ok." Mac says in reply. Veronica is already on her way out the door but stops herself to turn around and face Mac.

"Thank you." She tells the other girl, hoping she can hear the sincerity in her voice. Mac smiles shyly and nods her head in acknowledgment and Veronica is on her way again, she doesn't care that she's cutting class, she just knows she needs to see Keith.

Not sure if Keith is working today but not wanting to go to the Sheriffs station unless necessary because Lamb is the kind of asshole who would arrest her for truanting, she instead heads to Cliff's. Surprisingly Cliff answers the door when she knocks.

"Shouldn't you be out defending the misdeeds of the town's finest?" She asks. He quirks and eyebrow at her;

"Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Touché." She tells him for lack of a better response.

"Veronica?" She hears her Dad's voice call. Cliff steps out of the doorway just as Keith comes into view.

"Why aren't you at school Honey?" He asks.

"Why aren't you at work?" She asks, more snark in her voice then she intended.

"I'm going to take that as my cue, town's finest to defend and all." Cliff chirps enthusiastically and heads out the door. Veronica notices he doesn't take anything with him and that he's wearing slippers and feels a warmth for her Dad's best friend in her heart. Her dad is still staring at her when Veronica looks back at him.

"Can I come in?" She asks and Keith immediately moves so she can come inside. She follows him to the couch, the speech she prepared about Lianne and Jake possibly threatening him on the tip of her tongue but instead what comes out instead is;

"Do you not love me anymore because I might be Jake Kane's daughter?" A sob escapes her throat and she's angry with herself because this was not suppose to happen like this, but truth is Keith has always been her biggest weakness and no matter how emotionally closed off she had claimed to be after Lilly died, Keith has always been the exception to that rule and the mere thought that she wouldn't have him in her life makes her heart swell with a pain that is crippling, she may be mentally eighteen but Veronica doesn't think she will ever stop needing her Dad.

"Oh Honey." Keith quickly moves to her and she is suddenly engulfed in his arms and it just causes Veronica to cry harder.

"Veronica listen to me," Keith says, cupping her face in his hands and forcing her to look up at him. "There is nothing on this earth that could ever make me stop loving you, regardless of DNA, you are and always will be my daughter, I love you honey." And if Veronica thought she was crying to hard before it's nothing compared to how she cries now, she clutches at Keith's shoulders and cries, not only because she is overwhelmingly relieved but she also finds herself crying for Keith, who doesn't know the truth but loves her anyway, who just found out his wife had been cheating on him for who knows how long, and whose life will never be the same, but is still here comforting Veronica.

When it finally feels like she's all cried out, she forces herself to sit up and look at Keith.

"Did she force you to leave?" She asks, her voice hoarse from the crying.

"Veronica." Her dad sighs and he doesn't need to answer, Veronica can see the answer in his eyes.

"What did she threaten you with?"

"Veronica." Keith repeats and Veronica knows he doesn't want to tell her. "She's your mother."

"I don't care."

"You will." Keith says, stroking her hair and Veronica considers letting it go, she does, but one thing Veronica Mars cannot handle is not knowing.

"She let me date Duncan, Dad, my potential _brother_. She knew but she let me date him anyway." She can see this argument is a sore spot for Keith, whose eyes harden.

"Veronica I know what she did was very wrong, but she's still your mother." Keith tells her, but it's what he doesn't say that gives Veronica her answer.

"She told you she'd stop you from seeing me, didn't she?" Keith doesn't answer, but his fingers in her hair stop stroking and his face clouds over.

"She can't do that."

"Of course she can, sweetie, especially if I'm not..." He trails off, Veronica suspects it's because he can't bring himself to voice the words _'not your father'_.

"But I'm old enough to choose aren't I? It shouldn't matter." Veronica can feel the anger bubbling, wishing her mother away, not for the first time in her life.

"It won't matter, not in Neptune." Not when Lianne can get Jake to buy a verdict. Veronica wonders if this would have happened in her original time, if the secret had gotten out and Lilly hadn't died. Suddenly she understands why Keith felt he had no choice but to leave, she's suddenly feeling the same.

She makes it back to school in time for last period. Unsurprisingly her phone shows five missed calls and seven text messages. They're from Logan and Lilly, also not surprising,

**Lilly:** Whr r u?

**Lilly:** U ok?

**Lilly:** Wna go 2 mall aftr skool?

**Logan:** Veronica are you ok?

**Logan:** Are you avoiding me? Is this about last night? Did something happen this morning?

**Logan:** Veronica please talk to me.

**Logan: **Where were you at lunch?

She's just about to pocket her phone, messages unanswered when a hand grabs her arm and pulls her into the bathroom that serves as her office. Her phone is snatched out of her hand, she doesn't even try to fight it, knowing she wouldn't win.

"So there's nothing wrong with your phone, you're just ignoring me, fantastic." Logan says, even if she hadn't been looking at his face, the sardonic tone of his voice would have been enough to alert her to the fact that he was annoyed.

"I'm not really in the mood, Logan." She just wanted this day over with already. Logan's face softened and he reached out a hand to tilt her face up, his thumb stroked under eye.

"You've been crying." He says, more to himself than to her.

"It's been a fun day." She says bitingly, but doesn't pull her face away from his hand, she's an emotional wreck today and if Logan wants to stroke her face with his big hands then she sure isn't going to stop him.

"Wanna talk about it?" He asks.

"Not really, I mostly just want to sleep." He nods and removes his hand, Veronica has to bit her lip to stop herself from asking him to put it back.

"Come on then." He says, reaching for her hand and dragging her out towards the car park.

"Where are we going?" She asks, not putting up a fight because the idea of spending time with Logan right now is far too good an opportunity to pass up, regardless of the whole mess her relationship with Logan is, she doesn't want to deal with right now, just wants to be in this moment and let herself be dragged by the hand to who knows where with the boy she loves. Only it would seem fate had other plans.

"What are you doing?" a voice asks from behind them. Veronica sighs, this is just her luck.


	12. The thing about lies

**AN: Thank you so much for the continued support guys!**

**Thank you to Drish29 for editing :)**

**Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Veronica Mars, nor am I profiting from this fic.**

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_"What are you doing?" a voice asks from behind them. Veronica sighs, this is just her luck. _

Veronica lets go of Logan's hand to turn around and face Lilly.

"Where are you going?" Lilly asks when she realises neither Veronica or Logan intend to respond.

"Home." Logan tells her. Veronica can tell by the closed off expression on his face and the bite to his tone that he wants Lilly to go away. Truth is, as much as Veronica loves her best friend, right now she wouldn't mind if Lilly did leave either.

"Why?" Lilly asks and Veronica finds herself sighing, why can't Lilly see that Veronica's not in the mood for this?

"Because I'm being a good friend." Logan tells her and Veronica finds herself smiling at him, he really is a good friend when he wants to be. Lilly snorts a laugh, obviously not as touched by Logan's words as Veronica is.

"Sure you're not just taking advantage of Veronica in her vulnerable state? She's not going to have sex with you, Logan." Veronica sucks in a shocked breath, surprised that Lilly has even gone there, she can see that Logan is also shocked by Lilly's words.

"Wow Lil, nice to know you think so little of me. We're not all manipulative bitches like you." Logan has his hands curled into fists, his eyes are narrowed at Lilly, he looks ready for a fight, but so does Lilly, she's got a hand cocked on her waist, a smirk on her lips and her eyes are narrowed too. Veronica can sense that there is more going on here then Lilly thinking Logan is trying to take advantage of Veronica but she can't bring herself to care, she's exhausted from crying, still far too emotional strung and right now she isn't in the mood to be in the middle of whatever this is between Logan and Lilly.

"Guys, calm down, please. Nobody is trying to take advantage of anyone here." She tells them, the both remain silent, still glaring at each other and Veronica finds herself with an overwhelming urge to hit them both upside the head, instead she digs down deep and finds her inner timid-pre-Lilly's-death-Veronica and lowers her voice so that it comes out sounding more upset than annoyed.

"Guys, please, I can't handle this right now." The tone of her voice or maybe her plea is enough to snap them both out of their glaring contest and they both immediately turn their attention to Veronica. Lilly's whole demeanour softens and she walks over to hug Veronica.

"Do you want to come to my house?" She asks as she pulls away, smiling a genuine smile that is reserved for Veronica and Duncan.

"Um, I just don't think I'm ready yet." She tells Lilly, feeling almost bad as she manipulates her friend, looking down at the ground and playing with her hair. It's not a lie, Veronica isn't ready to go to the Kane's, but it's not because of her questionable parentage like she's leading Lilly to believe, but rather her ingrained need for revenge that she has carefully cultivated in the years since Lilly died. She wants to make Jake and Celeste pay for what they have done to her dad, but now isn't the time. There's no hesitation in Lilly as Veronica voices her desires, instead she smiles wider and says;

"We could go to the mall? Retail therapy is good for all occasions."

"She doesn't want to go to the mall, she wants to go to sleep, she's tired." Logan answers for her. Lilly's eyes narrow slightly and Veronica considers walking away and leaving them both to it, but the thought of going home and facing Lianne makes her stay.

"I was talking to _my _best friend, Logan." Lilly says through gritted teeth.

"Well _your _best friend is tired and wants to go to sleep." Logan replies, his signature cocky smirk in place.

"Oh and you think you know my best friend better than I do, do you?!" Lilly snaps, her voice raised slightly. Veronica considers telling her to lower her voice or they'll all be in trouble for skipping, but before she gets the chance, Logan is swooping in with a haughty reply;

"Yes, because unlike some people, I actually _listen _and _observe. _Can't you see she's practically swaying on her feet?!" Lilly's glare drops and she quickly looks Veronica over, what she sees is obviously enough to prove Logan right.

"'Ronica, what would do you want to do?" Lilly asks.

"Well, I am tired." Lilly reaches an arm around Veronica's side and pulls her into a half hug.

"We'll go to Logan's then and you can have a nap." She tells Veronica, already leading her out of the entrance doors. Veronica looks back at Logan and sees his body is still set in fight mode. Veronica smiles at him and beckons him with the hand that isn't caught under Lilly's arm. He smiles back at her in that way that sends butterflies flying in her stomach and follows. He quickly catches up to the girls, walking close enough to Veronica that their hands occasionally brush, while she's tempted to reach out and catch his hand when he brushes against hers, she doesn't, not only because his ex-girlfriend and her best friend is on the other side of them, but because just knowing he is beside her is enough for now.

It's dark outside when Veronica wakes up. Veronica sits up and glances past Logan who is sleeping peacefully beside her, at the alarm clock on the nightstands that reads 8:03. She'd been asleep for six hours.

When they'd gotten back to Logan's, Veronica had suggested the three of them watch a movie in Logan's bed, it wasn't nothing they'd never done before, though it was the first time they'd done so without Duncan. Logan and Lilly had agreed, obviously wanting to make her happy, so the three of them had settled into watch Fight Club, Logan for the storyline and Lilly because; "Brad Pitt, Veronica.", Veronica wasn't fussed what they watched anyway, she had happily settled herself down between Logan and Lilly, which was new, and within minutes of the movie starting was asleep. The spot where Lilly had been was now cold, and Veronica might have believed she had gone home, if it wasn't for Lilly's shoes, still sitting next to Veronica's where'd they kicked them off earlier. She obviously hadn't been in the bed for some time and Veronica had an ugly suspicion as to where she might have gone. She didn't want to believe that Lilly would seek out Aaron today of all days, but then it wouldn't have been the first time Lilly had done so right under their noses.

Hopping out of bed, Veronica quickly checked to make sure Logan was still sleeping, before going in search of Lilly. She didn't know what she planned to do if she came across Lilly and Aaron, but she had to know for sure that Lilly was doing what she thought she was.

It's outside Aaron's study that she hears it, a moan of pleasure that had been burned in her memory from the moment she had first heard it on Duncan's TV. Veronica couldn't believe it, how could Lilly do this?! How could she do it when both Logan and Lyn were home. Something inside of Veronica snaps, she's had enough, enough of knowing all of these secrets, of seeing the people she loves being hurt because of them, of knowing Lilly is capable of something so despicable that would shatter the boy upstairs if he knew. Suddenly Veronica is so mad her vision blurs and it feels like there is so much rage in her head and in her heart that needs to be unleashed. She's so mad she doesn't even register the door opening, or Lilly stepping out until she is in front of her. The evidence of what she has been doing is obvious in the mess of her hair, the swell of her hips and the bright red mark against her throat. Lilly's eyes widen in shock at seeing Veronica and she quickly closes the door behind her, but not before Veronica sees Aaron sitting in his computer chair, legs propped up on the desk and eyes closed in blissful content as he smokes a cigar. Veronica wants to vomit, but not as much as she wants to yell. She reaches forward and grabs a hold of Lilly's hand, dragging her back up the stairs, past Logan's room and down the hall to Trina's. She flings the door open, pushes Lilly inside and shut the door behind them.

"What the hell was that?!" Veronica demands, voice low so as not to attract attention. Lilly shrugs, which only serves to make Veronica madder.

"What was what?" She asks, as if Veronica hasn't all but caught her in the act.

"How naive do you think I am Lilly, I know what you were doing. It wasn't the first time either, was it?!" Veronica snaps, she just wants Lilly to own up to it, show some remorse, maybe explain that she feel too threatened by Aaron to simply walk away, instead what she gets is another shrug, this one accompanied by a smirk.

"That was just a little fun." If Veronica thought she was mad before, it was nothing compared to how she felt now, how could Lilly have so little regard for Logan's feelings? Had she honestly never cared?

"Fun? You think it's _fun _to repeatedly have sex with Logan's father? Logan your ex-_boyfriend_?!" Lilly sighs, as if she is truly put out by Veronica's questioning.

"Veronica you wouldn't understand." Veronica was sick of people trying to justify their actions by telling her she wouldn't understand. It wasn't just Lilly she was yelling at when she truly lost it,

"Until now I never truly believed that you were completely selfish, Lilly, but there is no excuse for what you're doing. Logan doesn't deserve this!" She's forgotten to keep her voice down, but she's too angry to care. Lilly's eyes narrow at Veronica, it's a looks she's never been on the receiving end of and there's a part of Veronica that is intimidated, but Lilly Kane has nothing on what she's faced in the past two years.

"Right because we wouldn't want to upset Logan, would we, Veronica?" Lilly comments snidely. Veronica hesitates confused, wondering why this is what Lilly had chosen to take away from their argument.

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Just that you've been a little too considered about my ex-boyfriend's wellbeing lately. Is that why you convinced me to break up with him? So you could have him? Duncan wasn't enough for you anymore, you had to have the attention of both of the richest boys in school. Not as innocent as you've always pretended to be are you? Well I have some news for you, Veronica, you'll never be enough for Logan."

"Shut up." A new voice demands, sometime during their fight, Trina's door had opened unnoticed by both girls, if Lilly's shocked expression is anything to go by. Logan steps into the room and stands in front of Veronica,

"Get out."


	13. October third

**Thank you to everyone who read/reviewed/favourited/followed the last chapter and thank you to Drish for all your help as always 3**

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_"Shut up." A new voice demands, sometime during their fight, Trina's door had opened unnoticed by both girls, if Lilly's shocked expression is anything to go by. Logan steps into the room and stands in front of Veronica, _

_"Get out."_

"You can't be serious?" Lilly laughs sardonically.

"Get out Lilly, I mean it."

"What is this Logan? Do you think you're good enough to play Veronica's white knight? You think Veronica's going to give it up to _you_?!" Veronica couldn't believe it, this was her best friend, the girl she had spent years mourning and missing and almost died trying to solve her murder and now she began to wonder if she had imagined the extent of her friendship with her. The shock of being on this side of Lilly's ire kept her from her defending herself, for a moment lost in her confusion and hurt, Veronica felt everything about the girl she had fought to become slip away, and she was suddenly the same young girl she had been before Lilly's death.

"How is it I never noticed just how truly vile you are, Lilly?!" Logan asked.

"You're wasting your time." Lilly tells Logan with a smirk, before turning around and flouncing out of the room. The room remains silent after she leaves, Veronica doesn't know what she could possibly say to make this situation any better. Logan was staring at her, she could feel his eyes on her but she refused to look up at him, couldn't bear the thought of seeing what Logan was thinking. Would he hate her for outing Lilly's relationship with her father? For what Lilly had said about how Veronica might think she would be too good for Logan? Logan reached up a hand, as if to touch Veronica's face, he seemed to hesitate but did it anyway, reaching up to wipe his thumb under her eye, it isn't until he pulled his hand back that she realised she was crying. She didn't like it, if there was one thing Veronica hated it was being vulnerable.

"I'm sorry." Logan tells her, Veronica blinks in surprise, what did Logan have to be sorry for?

"For what?" Veronica asks, confused as to what Logan would need to apologise for.

"For Lilly, what she said." A spark of anger ignites inside of Veronica, at their situation, but mostly at Lilly. Why had Veronica never noticed that everyone else was always apologising for Lilly while Lilly carried on doing what she did not caring how it affected the people in her life.

"Don't" Veronica tells him fiercely. Logan looks confused and hurt, Veronica immediately feels bad.

"Don't apologise for her." Veronica tells him. The hurt leaves his face and Veronica is overwhelmed with love for him, he was always there when she really needed him.

"I'm sorry." She tells him, because she is, sorry for everything that had happened between them in her other life, for every time she hadn't trusted him only for it to turn out he had been there protecting her all along. She was sorry for every person who had ever hurt him, she was sorry he had ever had to know about Lilly and Aaron. New tears welled in her eyes, but she no longer cared about being vulnerable, not around Logan.

"I'm sorry." She said again, because she didn't know what else she could do.

"For what?"Now it was Logan's turn to look confused.

"That you had to find out about that the way you did. That it even happened."

"Hey." Logan said, reaching out to caress her face, "If I'm not allowed to apologise for her, neither can you."

"But-" Veronica tries, she needs Logan to understand that this is her fault, she's the one who's already lived through this, she's the one who keeps failing to make this universe better than the one she left.

"Veronica, this is not your fault. This is on Lilly and Aaron, not you. Besides it's not like there was any good way to find out, was there?"

"How are you so calm about this?" Veronica asks.

"I dunno, maybe because I'm worried about you." Veronica feels her stomach flutter and new tears spring to her eyes. _Oh Logan, _she thinks.

"I'm sorry." She tells him again, because this isn't about her and she really needs to put on her big girl boots and stop acting so pathetic. Something about being back in this universe, around these people who know her only as pre-Lilly's death Veronica has started to mess with her and she's slowly been slipping back into her old ways. She is not this girl and it's time she remembers that.

"Stop apologising." Logan tells her softly, squeezing her arm gently. Veronica nods;

"Ok." She breathes out, and she really means it this time, Logan is going to need her to be strong when he starts to feel this and she can't afford to be an emotional wreck when it happens, she refuses to be.

"Veronica?" Logan asks.

"Hmm?"

"Do you think..." He reaches up and runs a hand through his hair, adverting his eyes at the same time. "Do you think, maybe, you could stay tonight?" He asks. "It's just I don't think I'm ready to be alone with Aaron just yet." _Oh Logan, _She thinks again, he must be feeling this more than he is letting on, she fights the urge to jump into his arms, instead she just smiles at him in reassurance and says yes.

They get into Logan's bed and Veronica tries to ignore the fact that they had been in it with Lilly only hours ago.

"Veronica?" Logan asks when they are lying next to each other in the dark.

"Yeah?" She asks.

"This is embarrassing and if it was anyone but you I wouldn't ask-"

"Logan just ask." Veronica interrupts, trying to ignore the fluttering in her stomach and the quickening of her heart. '_if it was anyone but you...' _She thinks, letting herself smile because she knows he can't see her.

"Would-it-be-ok-if-I-held-your-hand?" Logan asks quickly, almost too quickly for Veronica to make out but she does, and she thinks she falls just a little bit more in love with this boy. She can feel Logan's embarrassment, he's been silent since he asked, but she somehow knows it's because he's embarrassed to ask her something as simple as can he hold her hand. Instead of replying, she reaches out her hand and slides her hand down his arm till she finds his, their fingers slot together and Veronica doesn't know why this makes her heart race, but it does.

"Thank you." He whispers beside her, squeezing her hand softly.

"Anytime." She tells him and she means it.

She lays silently beside him and listens to his breathing even out as he falls asleep and though she is exhausted from the endless drama her life has become, she can't fall asleep. She's too worried about Logan, about what's going to happen when it finally sinks in that his ex-girlfriend was sleeping with his father, and about her dad and what's going to happen with her parents and where she's going to end up living, she worries about Lilly, even though right now she wishes she could make herself stop caring about the other girl, but instead she lies there in the dark and worries about Lilly's fate, on how she can help her survive October third. It isn't until she eventually drifts off into sleep, that she lets herself admit that a part of her heart fractured tonight when she realised that maybe she had been mourning a girl who never existed, who Veronica had loved for so long, but who had maybe not loved her back.

She wakes up the morning of October third with a sense of dread in her stomach. It's been two days since Logan had discovered the truth about Lilly and his father. He had been fine the following morning and it wasn't until they had gotten to school and seen Lilly holding court among the other O9ers, as if nothing had changed, that it finally hit Logan. He had wanted to confront her, demand an explanation or even an apology but Veronica had stopped him, telling him that Lilly would love the drama and it would only cause more problems in his life in the way of gossip. Instead, Logan had turned to Dick and after making sure Veronica would be ok, headed to TJ with Dick and Cassidy for the rest of the week. Veronica herself had spent the week avoiding Lilly, which had been easier then she expected, since they shared none of the same classes, all Veronica had to do was avoid her in hallways and during lunch, a solution she had found easy by joining Mac in the computer room. While the other girl was obviously curious about Veronica's decision to be there, she never questioned it and instead engaged Veronica in riveting conversations about their favourite books and Veronica found herself more grateful for the girl then she ever thought she could be.

But now, here she was, the morning of October third, the day Lilly was suppose to be murdered and she still didn't have a plan on how to stop it.

She's still without a plan when she spots Lilly at the pep squad car wash later that day, so she's surprised when her feet on autopilot take her over to the other girl.

"Lilly." she greets, Veronica can see she has surprised Lilly by coming over and talking to her but the other girl quickly removes the emotion from her face.

"Veronica, can't say I ever expected to speak to you again. Where's your bodyguard?" Lilly asks icily. Though she entertains the thought of reaching over and strangling the other girl, she knows she could never really let anything happen to her, which is what forces her to keep going.

"I think we should talk." Veronica tells her.

"Talk about what? As far as I'm concerned you and I have nothing left to talk about." Lilly tells her snidely. It hurts, far more than Veronica is willing to admit.

"So that's it then?" Veronica asks, calling forth every acting skill she posses to sound unaffected. Lilly turns to look at Veronica, and for a moment, Veronica can see the girl she had thought she knew as her best friend, but the moment passes and Lilly curls her lip up into a smirk.

"Yeah that's it, enjoy my leftovers 'Ronica." With those words, Lilly walks away, not bothering to look back once at her former best friend and the damage her words had just inflicted.

"Veronica what's wrong?" Logan asks when he finds her later, sitting in her car instead of at the carwash where she is suppose to be.

"Logan?" She asks surprised. What was he doing here? He and Lilly were already over in this reality so he had no reason to be here to leave her the note this time around.

"I came to see how you were." He answers her unspoken question. She nods to the passenger side and he walks around and gets in.

"How are you?" She asks once he is seated.

"Honestly, I'm angry and hurt and disgusted. I don't know what I'm supposed to do with it though, it's not like I could confront Aaron, can I." She doesn't quite know what to say, knows there's not really anything she can say. Their eyes meet and she tries to portray everything she wishes she could say out loud in her eyes, his eyes soften and a small smile appears on his face, she knows that he has at least understood something she had tried to say.

"Want to go back to my place? I mean there's a chance Daddy Dearest will be there." Logan asks and suddenly it occurs to Veronica that maybe there is a way to prevent Lilly's murder and rid themselves of Aaron after all. So she says yes and hopes like hell it'll all work out in the end.

She watches Lilly arrive and she watches Lilly leave, from where she sits near Logan's window, but it isn't until she sees Aaron leaving that she draws Logan's attention to the window.

"Logan your dad just went after Lilly and he looked furious." She tells him. Years of abuse at the hands off his father has Logan on his feet and moving downstairs to his car in seconds. Veronica follows closely behind, pulling out her phone the moment they climb into Logan's car and dials her father.

"Hey Honey." Keith greets when he answers.

"Dad I need your help."

"What's wrong?" Keith asks, instantly alert.

"Can you meet me at the Kane's, I promise I'll explain everything later, but I'm worried Lilly's in trouble."

"I'm on my way." Keith tells her and Veronica sighs in relief.

"You really think he's going to hurt her?" Logan asks when she hangs up the phone.

"Do you?" Veronica asks, instead of replying, Logan speeds up. Veronica's heart is in her throat when they arrive at the Kane mansion. Veronica is running towards the back entrance to the pool the moment the car stops, she doesn't need to check and see if Logan is behind her, she knows he is.

"Give me the tapes you little bitch!" She hears Aaron's voice demanding as they come into the backyard.

"Why would I do that when I can sell them for millions. Just think of the headlines 'Aaron Echolls, child molester and pornographer.'" Lilly laughs and cannot believe the girl is unaware of the danger she is in. She watches as Aaron reaches for the ash tray, a blur moves past her and Veronica freezes in horror as she watches the ash tray connect, not with Lilly, but with Logan, the force of the impact pushes Logan forward and he falls into the pool, taking Lilly with him. Veronica doesn't think, just runs towards where Logan and Lilly are now sinking.

"Don't move!" She hears behind her and though it is a voice Veronica knows means everything will be ok, she still runs towards Logan, just as she reaches the pool edge, she feels her arm being grabbed and she is forcefully flung around and into Aaron Echoll's arms.

"I don't think you want to do that Keith." Aaron says, the hand around her throat applies pressure that cuts off Veronica's air supply.

"Let her go Aaron, there's no way out of this." Keith's steady voice tells Aaron, Veronica isn't fooled, she can see that Keith is terrified, even if her vision is starting to blur.

"You're going to let me walk out of here, Keith. She doesn't have very long left." Veronica suspects he may be right, her vision is darkening and her throat is on fire from the lack of air, she can feel herself starting to lose consciousness. She's not sure what happens but the next thing is aware of is being thrown onto the ground, she gulps in the air as fast as he injured throat will let her, watching out of hazy vision as Logan's car speeds out of the Kane's driveway.

"Veronica, sweetie." She can hear her father's voice calling. She slowly sits up, trying to ignore the world spinning around her, Logan she has to get to Logan.

"Logan." She says, her voice hoarse and though it hurts to talk she repeats the word; "Logan." she has to know if he's ok. Her dad nods and reaches out to help her up, half carrying her, he leads her back to the pool where she can now see Logan lying on pavement, his shoulder is bleeding and seems to be in a funny shape.

"Logan." She croaks again as he dad places her down next to the bleeding boy.

"Veronica." He gasps and his face contorts in pain. Veronica reaches out and caresses his face, wishing she could do more, something, anything really to take away his obvious pain.

"The ambulance is on its way." A voice says from behind her, looking up, Veronica is surprised to see that a water soaked Deputy Lamb is kneeling across from her on Logan's other side, Lilly is also there and the two girls make eye contact, there's something about Lilly's eyes that is different and Veronica's hazy mind wonders if it's because she's crying, has she ever seen Lilly cry before? Her attention is drawn away from her former best friend when Logan gasps in pain, Veronica reaches out instinctively and squeezes his hand.

"You're going to be ok Logan, it's over." She tells him, though she really doubts it is.

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**AN: So we didn't see a lot of Logan's reaction to the affair in this chapter but it will come. Thank you for reading :)**


	14. Aftermath

**AN: Whoo longest chapter yet! Thank you to all you beautiful people for continuing to read/review/follow/favourite! Sorry to the people who felt I left the last chapter on a cliff hanger, funnily enough I actually went out of my way to show that Logan was alive just so it wouldn't be :)**

**A big thank you to Drish, I would be lost without you.**

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The room was silent, had been for a good twenty minutes since the doctor had left, Veronica was ok with it though, she didn't really know what to say, after all what can you say to the boy you love when his dad just tried to kill your ex-girlfriend, who he was also sleeping with? _God this was all a mess_, she thinks, huffing out a breath and instantly regretting it when her still sensitive throat protested.

"You don't have to stay." Logan says, breaking the silence. Veronica startles from her thoughts, is that why he'd been quiet so long, he thought she didn't want to be there. But of course he would think that, it was Logan, he had probably convinced himself she would hate him now because of Aaron.

"I know that, but I want to be here." She tells him, because there's nowhere else she would rather be, she had insisted on being with him since they had left in an Ambulance together from the Kane estate. She didn't know what had happened with Lilly, her dad wouldn't tell her much when he met up with her at the hospital, he had only stayed long enough to ensure Veronica would be ok before leaving again, he did have an attempted murderer to track down and two confused and powerful parents to deal with after all. Logan's looking at her and smiling serenely at her.

"Mmm... I'm glad it's you here, Ronnie. Even after my dad tried to kill you." He tells her. She wonders if he would have told her that if he wasn't high on painkillers. The ashtray had broken his left shoulder and he could have been discharged already with a bottle of pain killers, but Lyn had yet to arrive, or even answer her phone, so it had been decided he would stay overnight, hooked up to a morphine drip, that now had him smiling at Veronica with the most peaceful expression on his face that Veronica had ever seen. He was topless, wrist in a collar cuff resting on his stomach, under normal circumstances Veronica would have used this opportunity to ogle, but instead she was met with the sight of his swollen shoulder, dark bruising covered his shoulder and arm. Every time she allowed her gaze to look past his face she was filled with a burning rage. She supposes she should be happy she had been able to prevent Lilly's death and she is, but she never wanted Logan to get hurt in the process, he would be a mess when he finally had a chance to process what had happened today. To top it all off, his own mother had yet to show up, surely she had been told by now? _Would she ignore it like she had the abuse?_ Veronica finds herself wondering.

"You ready Honey?" Keith Mars' voice asks from the doorway. He's looking at them both softly and Veronica can see the compassion and love in his eyes. She's up and moving across the room before she even realises;

"I love you." She tells him as he engulfs her in a hug. Even if it had turned out that he wasn't her real father, the love she has for this man would have never wavered. Whenever she had needed him, Keith had always been there and Veronica couldn't describe the sense of comfort and love that gave her, never had she been more grateful a person existed, then she was for Keith Mars.

"Thank you." She tells him, hugging him that little bit tighter, trying to tell him what she cannot say with words.

"Always." He tells her, she doesn't need more than that, because she knows what he means, he will always love her and he will always be there for her.

"Are you ready to go?" Her dad asks after a moment.

"Yeah, just give me a minute to say goodbye." She tells him after pulling away.

"Ok, I'll be in the hall." He says, shutting the door behind him. She approaches the bed. Logan's eyes are closed, though she's sure he's not quite asleep yet.

"Logan." She whispers.

"Mmm?"

"I have to go, but I'll come see you tomorrow." She tells him, already feeling guilty for leaving.

"'Kay." He mumbles. Before she can stop herself, and because she knows it's doubtful he will remember, she leans forward and kisses him quickly on the lips.

"Sweet dreams, Logan." She strokes his hair and turns to leave the room, just as she reaches the door she hears a mumbled reply from behind her;

"Night Ronnie."

"You're home." Lianne says as Veronica walks in the door. Veronica suppresses a sigh, wishing she could have just gone home with Keith.

"Obviously."

"Watch your attitude young lady, I understand that you have been a little upset with me lately-" Veronica scoffed, _a little upset?! Yeah right... _Lianne continued as if she hadn't heard Veronica's news of disbelief. "But that doesn't excuse you staying out so late and not even calling."

"I was at the hospital." Veronica can hear the disbelief in her tone, can her mother honestly not see the bruises around her neck? Can she not tell that Veronica is seconds away from passing out from emotional and physical exhaustion?! Preventing a murder, worrying about your friend's injuries and mental state and being almost choked to death is exhausting, how can her mother not see this?!

"I know that, only because your father called. It doesn't excuse your behaviour Veronica."

"If Dad called you then you already know. I'm going to bed." She's done with this conversation, all she wants now is to climb into bed and let her exhaustion pull her into a blissful state of sleep.

"Veronica, I am not the monster you are making me out to be. I am your mother and I think it's time you remembered that!" Lianne shouts from behind her. If Veronica thought herself done with the conversation before, it was nothing compared to how she felt now.

"If you were a real mother worthy of the name, you would have never allowed me to date Duncan, you wouldn't be threatening the only man I've known as my father to keep him away from me, you wouldn't force me to stay here with you and you would open your eyes and see that I am not ok, that I almost died today, that Lilly and Logan almost died today and because of that I am exhausted and just want to go to bed. I am sorry that you feel I owed you a phone call when I was at the hospital being checked over because I was almost strangled today and that I was too busy worrying about Logan to call you, but honestly," She stops, her voice breaking, her throat is on fire from raising her voice and she can feel the tears threatening to fall, but she refuses to let them, she is not that girl and she will be damned if she lets Lianne see her cry; "Honestly," she says, this time in a quieter voice, "I don't even think you deserved it." With those parting words, she retreats to her room, leaving a stunned Lianne behind her.

The next morning she is up and out of the house before Lianne has woken up, though Veronica doubts she'll be awake anytime soon if the multiple empty bottles of vodka spread throughout the living room are any indication of her mother's current state and she knows they are.

Logan is already awake when she walks into his room and though he is alone, there's an expensive looking woman's jacket on the visitors chair and Veronica feels relief that Lyn has finally shown up.

"Hey." She greets, he's been watching something on the TV, but the sound of her voice gets his attention and he looks over at her.

"Hey." He says, obviously surprised to see her.

"I told you I would come by today." She tells him.

"You did? Sorry I don't really remember much of last night." He's smiling, but Veronica can see the uncertainty in his eyes. She realises that since he can't remember last night, he must also not remember her telling him she wanted to be there with him and likely still thinks she will hate him for what Aaron has done. She's promised herself that she would be more open with Logan this time around and truthfully she finds she actually wants to tell him, to reassure him that she doesn't hold Aaron's actions against him, regardless of the awkwardness that might result from it.

"Logan, what happened yesterday is not your fault." She tells him, moving to sit in the chair beside his bed. He stares at her, looking for any proof that she is lying, Veronica suspects.

"How can it not be? He's my father." Logan says, he's not looking at her as he says it, instead he has his eyes intensely focused on the television, though Veronica doubts he has any idea what he's seeing.

"That's right he is your father, not you. You're not responsible for what he does, Logan, ever." He's looking at her now, Veronica can't quite read his expression but it reminds her of the way he had looked at her when she had pretended to be interested in buying a screen play when she was looking for Trina's abusive boyfriend, Dylan something.

"You really think so?" He asks.

"Logan, you could never be him." She tells him, because she suspects that is what he's really asking. He looks shocked for a moment before replying.

"Thank you, Veronica." She smiles at him and the two get caught in an almost intense stare, one that has Veronica wishing she was allowed to reach across and kiss him, maybe caress his cheek, offer him some of physical comfort just to let him know she is here for him. Before she has a chance to give into temptation, Lyn enters the room, the doctor from last night, _Dr. Rodgers_, she thinks, following along behind her.

"Oh hello, Veronica." Lyn greets. She's all dressed up, full makeup, and ridiculously high heels, as if she's headed out for the night and Veronica finds herself resenting Lyn's presences a little, can't help but think Logan might be better off without his mother here, caring in that way that was never quite enough for any child, but especially not for Logan, who she had long since discovered was far more sensitive than he let on.

"Hi, Mrs Echolls." She greets, because she is still Logan's mum.

"The doctor is just going to take a look at Logan's shoulder before he's discharged." Lyn tells her and Veronica can tell she is being dismissed. So too can Logan apparently because he is quick to comment;

"Veronica can stay." But Veronica is feeling an overwhelming urge to leave, so she gets up and smiling at Logan says;

"It's ok, I have to get to school anyway." She hadn't really been sure if she would be going to school that day, but it sure beat going home and seeing Lianne.

"School?" Logan asks, concern evident in his voice.

"Yeah figured I've got to face it sometime." She shrugs and smiles at him in what she hopes is a reassuring way, she can see he isn't happy about her going to school and she knows it's for a good reason, but she's faced those hallways and those people on worse days then today, not that he knows that of course, which is why she knows why he is worried. A part of her wishes in that moment, that Logan knew who she had been in her other life, even if only a little, after all it was that version of herself that Logan had fallen in love with.

"It'll be fine." She tells him instead. "I can come over afterwards if you want?" His frown lifts and he smiles at her.

"I want." her tells her and Veronica feels a little flutter in her stomach, _oh if only you did want, Logan. _She thinks as she says goodbye. _If only..._

"Ronnie!" She hears the moment she gets out of her car at school. Sighing she turns towards the voice, finding herself face to face with Dick.

"Is it true Logan's dad went totally psycho and tried to kill you guys? Beav and I were driving back from TJ yesterday but everyone is talking about it. Said Mr Echolls got mad after catching you and Lilly getting it on with Logan." Veronica rolls her eyes, honestly the idiots in this school.

"Yes Dick, Aaron totally went crazy because he found us having a threesome." Veronica tells him as she walks away, the rumours are only going to become more outrageous until the real story gets out, there's really no point in denying them.

"Seriously, Ronnie?!" Dick calls from behind her.

"She was being sarcastic, Dick." She can hear Cassidy telling his brother, she hadn't even noticed he was there.

She's sitting in homeroom, trying to ignore all of the stares she's receiving, wishing she had worn a top that hid more of the bruising around her neck, when there's a knock on the door.

"Veronica Mars, you're wanted in the office." Her homeroom teacher tells her. Veronica gets up, ignoring all of the 'ooohs' at her being called to the office and the whispering following her as she makes her way to the door. She really hates this place.

When she gets to the office, Deputy Lamb is waiting for her.

"Veronica, the Sheriff wants to see you." He tells her and Veronica suppresses her witty remark, honestly why he couldn't just say her dad wanted to see her. She follows him out to his car, finding it odd to be sitting in the passenger seat and not the back given her history with Lamb.

"How's the Echolls kid?" He asks as he's pulling out of the school.

"Broken shoulder." She tells him, because while he may have pulled Logan from that pool yesterday, he is still the same guy who told her to 'go see the wizard' when she told him about being raped. They stay silent after that and Veronica is grateful for it, she is not in the mood to make small talk with this man.

Lamb tells her to take a seat when they arrive at the station, she's only been sitting for a few minutes when the door to her father's office opens and her dad and all of the Kane's emerge from it. Veronica feels a moment of panic, she's not ready for this, not ready to face Lilly because she doesn't know how Lilly is feeling about this and though she hates to admit it, Veronica is also worried that what happened yesterday had resulted in making Lilly hate her more. It's pathetic, she knows it is, this desire she has for Lilly's friendship, even though she has begun to see that Lilly was obviously not the person Veronica had always thought she was, there's a part of her that still feels like she needs Lilly in her life.

"Veronica." Lilly says, obviously surprised to see the other girl there. Her dad and the Kane's are looking at her now. Duncan moves towards her and before she's really given much thought to what he intends to do, he's already hugging her and for a moment, Veronica allows herself to sink into it, comforted by the simplicity that was Duncan and the part of her he would always represent, of the innocence she had long since lost. It wasn't that she still loved him, she was sure of that when she pulled away from him, Duncan represented a certain kind of comfort, but it was to a girl who no longer existed. He had been a safe first love, but he wasn't her epic love, that role had already been filled by a boy with big brown eyes, a self defence mechanism full of witty remarks and the biggest heart of anyone she knew.

Caught in her thoughts about Logan, Veronica doesn't notice someone else has moved to hug her until she feels their arms around her. The florally perfume would have been a dead giveaway if it weren't for all the blonde hair in her face.

"Lilly?" She questions in shock, though she knows it is.

"Veronica, I'm so glad you're ok." Lilly says as she pulls back. Veronica doesn't quite know how to react, this is not the Lilly she has come to expect recently. Lilly must take Veronica's silence as a go ahead to keep talking because she does just that.

"You saved my life." She says, and there's that look in her eyes again, Veronica still can't figure it out but she wonders if it might be gratefulness.

"It was Logan." She says, because Lilly should be thanking him, not her.

"Yeah but if you hadn't of called your dad there's no telling what could have happened."

"There is the question of how you knew to call the sheriff." Celeste Kane's cool voice cut in.

"Which is why Veronica is here." Keith says. "Honey why don't you come into my office." Grateful to escape the Kane's, Veronica quickly flees to Keith's office. Now she just had to figure out what to tell her dad without giving away Logan's secret.

**Logan's POV *Surprise!***

Having a broken shoulder was an absolute bitch, Logan thinks as he sit on the recliner in the living room. His mother had stuck around long enough to get him settled on the couch before taking off to her room with a headache, she'd no doubt either taken sleeping pills or drunk herself unconscious by now. He had long since given up the dream of having to caring, attentive parents, or at the very least, that's what he told himself. His shoulder hurt and he was extremely uncomfortable, but he still had another hour before he could take anymore.

He glanced back at the infomercial playing on the TV and rolled his eyes, honestly these things were so ridiculous, as if normal people ever actually found themselves in situations like the ones they showed in the commercial, and if they were ever stupid enough to, as far as Logan was concerned they deserved it.

God he was grumpy. Was it too much to ask for someone to care about him? But that wasn't true, there was someone who cared about him, Veronica. It confused him why Veronica wanted to be around him and yet he never got the impression she wished to be anywhere else. She wasn't who he'd always thought she was, though he will admit he hadn't ever really paid close attention to her, always to wrapped up in Lilly to care that much about his best mate's girlfriend. He's not sure how he feels about her, but he knows her constantly wants to be around her, something about her presence soothes his soul, though you couldn't pay him enough to ever admit that aloud. She was witty, and caring and beautiful and full of surprises and she made him feel cared about in a way he couldn't remember ever feeling. When he had seen what Aaron had done to her this morning, he had been sure she would hold him against Logan, he certainly did, instead she had almost seemed to read his mind when she'd told him he wasn't his father and Logan had almost believed it, knew that coming from her it must be true. He doesn't want to be his father, he wants to be the kind of man worthy of Veronica Mars, he just has to find a way to prove to her that he can be.

"Hey." It's as if his thoughts have summoned her, though truthfully she is never far from his thoughts these days.

"Hey." He smiles, taking her in, was it weird that he had missed her when she'd only been gone a few hours?

"I brought comfort food. Though I wasn't sure if you'd feel like eating, I figured you could be comforted by the sight of me eating it." She tells him as she moves towards him, Logan laughs, wincing when it jostles his shoulder. She's by his side in an instant,

"Maybe I'm not the best company, I'm far too witty to keep you from laughing." She tells him, Logan's laugh dies in his throat when she reaches up to stroke his hair.

"Did you want me to get you anything?" She asks

"Not unless you can move time forward an hour so I can take another pill." He tells her.

"Unfortunately, not even I, am that good." She says with a wink, and Logan finds himself overwhelmed with this burning sensation in his stomach, or maybe it's his heart, his head certainly feels funny. He's not sure what it is, just knows that it's because of this girl. _Yes_, he thinks, he's going to find a way to become a man worthy of Veronica Mars, because he never wants this feeling to go away.

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**AN: Hoped you liked it and felt like I did Logan's POV justice, I'm rather nervous about it haha.**

**Now dear readers I have a question for you; do you think Logan ever really got over Lilly?**

**Thanks so much for reading, I love you all!**


	15. The truth hurts

**AN: Thank you to everyone who is continuing to read/follow/favourite/review this, I love every single one of you and thank you to everyone who took the time to tell me their opinions on Logan's feeling for Lilly, I appreciated the different insights :)**

**This is unedited because I wanted to get it up tonight, so sorry for any glaring mistakes.**

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"Honestly, it was just a feeling." Veronica tells her father. It's not like she can tell him she knew Aaron was going to try and kill Lilly because she was from a future where Aaron had in fact, murdered Lilly. Well she could, but she figured that regardless of how much her father trusts her, asking somebody to believe you're from the future is probably a bit much. She supposes she could probably also tell him about the abuse, that she had seen what Aaron could do to his son so it wasn't hard for her mind to stretch to the possible scenarios an obviously livid Aaron could have carried out against Lilly. She doesn't tell him though, can't bring herself to break her promise to Logan even though it would make for a more solid case against Aaron when he was finally caught, even though the Veronica she had once been wouldn't have minded telling Logan's secrets in order to catch the bad guy. Honestly, she's not that surprised anymore by how much this reality has changed her, she's not even that opposed to it, it's almost as if she had gotten the best of both versions of herself, she thinks she can live with that.

She can see that Keith knows she is lying and that he knows she knows he knows, but she still doesn't tell him what he wants to hear.

"I know about everything, Veronica. I understand you're trying to protect your friends, but I need you to be honest."

"What do you mean everything?" She asks, surely Lilly wouldn't have told Keith and her family about sleeping with Aaron?

"About the abuse, about Lilly sleeping with Aaron to get him arrested and stop him from being able to hurt Logan again."

"I would have told you but-" It's as she's explaining her reasoning for not telling Keith that she registers what her father had just said_, Lilly did what now?! Lilly had known all along? She had been trying to protect Logan? _Veronica suddenly found herself with an overwhelming urge to throw up. Lilly has slept with Aaron to protect Logan. Did that mean she really did love him? Is that why she was so mad at Veronica for interfering? Would Logan love Lilly even more when he found out?

"I have to-" She gets out, before she's fleeing the room and heading to the toilets to throw up. All this time she had thought she knew, but everything she thought she'd known wasn't true.

-X

"Logan, there's something I have to tell you." She tells Logan as she busies herself with pulling out the junk food she'd brought with her.

"You can tell me anything, Ronnie." He's smiling at her and she wishes she didn't have to be the one to tell him, wishes it wasn't the last time he would smile at her like that, as if she was something special. But she had to tell him, because he would find out eventually and truthfully, Veronica just wanted to get it over with, the quicker she told him, the quicker he would go back to thinking Lilly hung the moon and the quicker Veronica could go home and pretend her heart wasn't breaking.

"Lilly, she told my dad that she knew about what Aaron did to you." She tells him, wishing she could take the words back the moment he rears back in shock and then gasps in pain from moving too quickly for his shoulder. She moves to help him, not that there's anything she can really do to take his pain away, but the look on his face stops her. Veronica had shared some of Logan's most vulnerable moments, but each time she's not prepared for the tidal wave of emotions it elicits from within her, the overwhelming sense of love she feels for him in that moment as she stares at his unguarded face, watching as the hurt, betrayal and disgust flit across his face, almost stops her from telling him what she has to say next, but she does so anyway, because she had promised she wasn't going to lie to him, and because if he and Lilly were suppose to be together, if Lilly was what he wanted when he found out the truth, the Veronica wouldn't stand in his way. Love really sucked sometimes.

"There's more." Logan laughed and shook his head, the unshed tears thick in the sound of his derisive laughter.

"How can there possibly be anymore, Veronica?" He battered at his eyes with his uninjured arm before looking up at her.

"She said she slept with Aaron because she wanted him to get caught so that he would go to jail and you would be free of him." It's the look in his eyes that finally does her in, forces her to blurt the truth from her mouth, anything to maybe relieve a little bit of the pain Logan is feeling. After all, how could he not love the girl who was willingly to do what Lilly had done to protect him?

He doesn't speak, doesn't move, doesn't even blink. Just sits and stares at the ground. The silence stretches around them, she gets up and starts pacing, and excuse to not have to watch Logan, and before she realises it, Veronica finds herself speaking again.

"Obviously I couldn't tell my dad whether or not that was true or not, but he says it's more the actual abuse that will help get Aaron convicted when the catch him."

"You told your dad?" Logan asks, even before she turns to face him, Veronica knows he is mad.

"I- He already knew." She watches as Logan's face changes, as the open, vulnerable side of Logan that only few are privileged enough to see, and the indifferent smirk replaces it.

"No, Veronica he didn't know, not until you confirmed it." His words are biting and for a moment Veronica is back in her junior year on the other side of a crowbar and a Logan who hated her.

"Logan, I didn't think-" She starts.

"You promised. I really thought you were different, Veronica." He laughs and Veronica wants to scream that she is different, that Logan wasn't wrong to trust her.

"I think you should go."

"Logan." Veronica knew she was going to lose him today, but she never wanted to lose him like this.

"I said go, Veronica." She grabs her bag and flees, she doesn't look back.

-X

She's sitting in her car outside Cliff's apartment trying not to cry. _You are Veronica Mars, badass, butch boot wearing, kickass detective, you have faced far worse than this, you have lived through your best friend being murdered, your parents splitting up, all of your old friends hating you, thinking you had been raped, thinking your first love was your brother, almost being murdered by a psychotic actor, almost going over a cliff in a bus and thinking you were responsible for multiple people dying, you've got this, you can handle Logan hating you, you did the first time, you can do it again. _Or at least that's what she plans to keep telling herself.

She's worried about Logan, wishing he wasn't forced to handle any of this alone. _Maybe he's not alone, maybe he's already called Lilly? _She is not going to cry, she is not a crier. She knocks on Cliff's door and wishes she hadn't picked up the phone when her dad had called and asked her to come over.

"Hey, Honey." Keith greets as he opens the door.

"What's wrong?" He asks the moment he gets a good look at her.

"Nothing." She tells him, she can tell he doesn't believe her, but he lets it go.

"I ordered this DNA test online and it arrived today, but we don't have to do it now if you don't want to." He tells her as he leads her to the couch.

"No it's ok, I want to get it over with."

"Veronica, I hope you know that I mean it when I say that regardless of whatever results come back, I will always be your dad as long as you want me to be." _So much for not crying_, she thinks as she promptly bursts into tears. She throws herself at Keith and burrows her face into his neck.

"I'll always want you." She tells him when the tears finally start to slow down.

"I'm glad." Keith tells her, holding her a little tighter and right in that moment there isn't anywhere else in the world Veronica would rather be.

-X

Two days of silence from Logan, he's been ignoring her calls, not that she really expected anything less. Lilly, Logan and Duncan have yet to return to school, which has left Veronica to bear the full brunt of gossip and snide comments about what happened with Aaron, even though nobody actually knows the full story yet.

She's driving to his house after school before she even makes a conscious decision, even if he does nothing but yell at her, she still needs to see him.

Weevil's grandmother answers the door when she knocks;

"Hi, Mrs Navarro, is Logan here?"

"He's resting at the moment, but I'll tell him you came by." Mrs Navarro tells her and Veronica can tell by the sympathy on her face that Logan has told her he doesn't want to see Veronica. If he wouldn't see her today, then she'd just come back tomorrow, after all, Veronica Mars was nothing if not stubborn.

-X

Lilly's at school the next day and it just goes to show Veronica that even with Lilly alive, she was never really a part of the O9ers clique. Lilly is welcomed back with open arms and Veronica hears more than one person telling her how worried they'd been and how terrible Aaron was. She's not sure how she feels about her best friend anymore, if she can even call her that, now that she knows why Lilly had slept with Aaron she's not sure is she's suppose to be angry anymore. How much of what had happened over the last few weeks was Lilly playing a part and how much of it was real? Did Lilly really hate her? Was it still pathetic of Veronica to be so consumed with this need for Lilly to not hate her?

Lilly doesn't approach her at all during the day and the other O9ers seem to take this as a sign that Veronica is no longer considered an honorary member. She becomes invisible, except to girls like Madison Sinclair who shoots her a triumphant look as she walks down the hallway with Lilly by her side. Veronica doesn't want to care, keeps telling herself that she has lived through this before and yet, there's an ache in her chest that refuses to let up, she doesn't need these people but even after her death, she had always thought she needed Lilly.

-X

"Hey Ronnie, how's Logan?" Considering her current social status it wouldn't surprise anyone when Veronica is frozen in shock when none other than Dick Casablanca sits down next to her at her lunch table.

"Hello? You in there Ronnie?" Dick asks, waving his hand in her face. Veronica blinks and tries to shake off her confusion.

"Dick, what are you doing here?" She asks.

"I already told you, I wanted to know how Logan is." He tells her, speaking to her like she's a child. Veronica rolls her eyes, Dick really is such a dick.

"I wouldn't know." She tells him.

"Oh." Dick seems surprised by her answer and that makes Veronica feel even more confused.

"Why would you think I would know?" She asks, curiosity getting the better of her and actually causing her to willingly continue conversation with Dick.

"Because you two are like always together now." He says, as if she's the stupid one for not realising this.

"I haven't heard from him today." She finds herself telling Dick, can't bring herself to say out loud that she doubts she'll be hearing from Logan anytime soon because he hates her.

"Oh well when you do, tell him to stop being an ass and text me back, would you." He's up and moving back to his table before she can reply and Veronica finds herself staring down at her lunch feeling even more confused now then she had before Dick sat down, hadn't Dick gotten the memo that she was no longer consider good enough to talk to? Veronica sighed, grabbing what was left of her lunch and standing up, she didn't like being confused and she really didn't like Dick Casablancas being the reason for it.

-X

Later that night, after she had already been over to Logan's and a sympathetic Mrs Navarro had sent her away, Veronica is sitting at her desk attempting to take her mind of everything with her homework when she gets a text;

**Logan: Can you come over? **

Veronica feels her heart jump into her throat, Logan wants to see her. She quickly stuffs her feet into her shoes, grabs her keys and cell and heads for the door.

* * *

**AN: So this one's more of a filler chapter, sorry. I had plans to end it later but I wanted to get it up tonight and the place I planned to leave it was a cliff hanger and since I can't guarantee when I can update, I figured this was a better place to end it. **

**Thank you for reading (and potentially reviewing!)**


	16. Heart to heart between exes

**AN: So apparently I don't know what a cliff hanger is? Haha. I totally lied about the cliff hanger being in this chapter, but I promise it will be in the next!**

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**Logan's POV**

"How long did you know?" Are the first words out of Logan's mouth. He doesn't bother with pleasantries, doesn't know if he thinks she deserves them.

"A while." Is her answer, which only leads to anger Logan more. He's had enough of her games, and now when they're talking about his darkest secret, when he's sat trying to ignore the discomfort and itching in his shoulder, feeling emotionally fragile and just all around angry, at himself, at his father and at this girl sat in front of him playing unnecessary games.

"Don't give me that bullshit, Lilly." Logan snaps. She seems unaffected by his harsh tone, takes a moment to brush something of her sweater before finally looking up at him.

"Five months tops." Before he can reply, something along the lines of how she had stayed quiet for all of those months, Lilly starts speaking again.

"How's Veronica?" _Veronica_. Veronica is not someone he wants to think about right now, he's already furious with himself for getting mad at her the other day and because he still hasn't sucked up his courage and called or texted an apology to her yet. He's sure she likely hates him now anyway.

"Veronica is none of your business." He tells Lilly, because whether or not Veronica hates him, he still cares about her and hasn't forgotten how Lilly has been treating her recently.

"Veronica is _my_ best friend." Lilly tells him, her tone clipped in what Logan assumes is anger. He scoffs and rolls his eyes at his ex girlfriend.

"I hardly think you can call yourself that after the way you've been treating her." Lilly smirks at him and crosses her arms.

"You seem to care about her a lot." She tells him.

"That's also none of your business." Logan tells her, tone hard. He refuses to discuss Veronica with Lilly and he'll be damn if anyone knows how he feels about Veronica before he tells her himself. Not that it's likely he ever will given the circumstances.

"Does Duncan know you want his girlfriend?" Lilly asks as she raises her eyebrow at him. Logan wants nothing more than to tell Lilly to get the fuck out of his house right then but stops himself.

'Ex-girlfriend." He tells her through gritted teeth. Veronica is too good for the likes of Duncan and Logan knows that means he will never stand a chance with her, but the thought of her being with Duncan makes him want to hit something, broken shoulder and all. The fact that Veronica might be Duncan's sister doesn't even cross his mind until later. Lilly doesn't reply, just continues to smirk at Logan, as if she's all-knowing. He's watching her stood before him and he finds himself wondering why he loved Lilly, because honestly he knows what Lilly has told Sheriff Mars about her reasons for sleeping with Aaron, he does, but he can't help but question his and Lilly's relationship, did Lilly really love him so much she was willingly to do what she did for him? He's never really had too many decent role models in his life when it comes to loving relationships and there was a time when Logan never would have dreamed of questioning his relationship with Lilly, it was far from perfect, but they had loved each other, or at least he thought they did, now he wasn't so sure. Because if he had loved Lilly, then what was it he felt for Veronica? Veronica who treated him better than anyone he can ever remember. Who inspired such feelings of hope, hope that he wouldn't become his father, hope that someone like her could ever love him. Who made him question everything he had ever thought to be true. Veronica, the one person who truly made him feel loved.

Which was why he found himself watching the first girl he had ever loved stand in front of him, her reasoning for having sex with his father, a selfless sacrifice, standing in the air between them, and honestly Logan wasn't so sure he believed it.

"Why'd you really do it, Lilly?" He asks before he can stop himself. He can see it in her eyes, the moment she realises what he's asking, the smirk slides of her face and he wonders if she'll tell him the truth, because the more he thinks about it, the more he's convinced she's lying.

"Because I could." She finally says, and Logan is a little surprised her answer doesn't hurt as much as he thought it would, because he's suddenly seeing Lilly without the rose coloured lenses of a young boy experiencing his first love. This is who is, who's she always been, Lilly does what Lilly wants to do. Which isn't to say it doesn't hurt, just one more person in his life who hasn't loved Logan the way he wants to be loved and maybe he should be used it, shrug it off as if it were nothing, but there's a little voice in the back of his brain, one he quickly identifies as Veronica Mars; _you deserve better than that, Logan, _it's says, and two months he wouldn't have believed it, but now, he actually kind of does.

"You're a terrible person, Lilly. I hope if anything came out of dad trying to kill you it's that you learnt actions have consequences." She's staring hard at his face, unshed tears in her eyes and the two get caught in a silent stare for a moment, for possibly the first time he thinks, he is really seeing Lilly, he's only slightly affected by the tears in her eyes, something that surprises him a little, but it isn't for the girl sat before him, it's for the girl he had thought she was. He wonders if maybe she's seeing parts of him for the first time, if maybe he isn't the person she had always thought him too.

"I know." She finally says, doesn't shy away but continues to stare at him, he can see they remorse in her eyes and though he's sure he no longer loves her, he does hope she will find a way to being a better person one day for her own sake.

"I don't know if I will ever forgive you." He tells her, because he's not sure if he ever will, if he'll ever want to.

"Good." She tells him and the two of them lapse into silence, still caught in their staring contest, both silently acknowledging that this really the end of what they had once shared, of a whole history together of firsts. He doesn't regret her, not really, because if Lilly has taught him anything, it's how not to love someone and he thinks that maybe that's a really good thing to learn.

"Have you told her yet?" Lilly asks, breaking their silence but not their eye contact. He knows she's talking about Veronica, but he's not sure what she means he's suppose to have told her.

"Told her what?"

"That you're half in love with her already, maybe even fully." Lilly smiles at him and there's acceptance in her eyes that he doesn't need. He doesn't need Lilly's approval to love Veronica, especially because he doesn't. But it's as if Lilly voicing it aloud has opened a tidal wave of emotion inside of him, all centred around the feisty little blonde, and Logan finally recognises it for what it is, _love. _Logan is in love with Veronica Mars. But then he remembers that Veronica probably hates him, how he'd told her to leave for something he knows she hadn't done to hurt him now that his anger has faded.

"You are, aren't you?" Lilly says, breaking into his emotional turmoil, she's wearing that smirk again and Logan is so not in the right frame of mind to deal with Lilly Kane right now.

"You should tell her." Lilly says when Logan doesn't reply.

"She wouldn't want to know, she probably hates me." Logan blurts out and he doesn't know why he is telling Lilly anything, but he's so overwhelmed right now with his new realisation that he needs to tell someone, even if that someone is his ex-girlfriend.

"Veronica does not hate you, Logan. I saw the way she was looking at when you were lying next to that pool, the way she refused to be separated from you. Why would you think that?" And before he knows it, Logan has told Lilly everything that had happened the last time he saw Veronica and Lilly is looking at him like he's an idiot and Logan wants to scream at her that he knows he's an idiot, Lilly thinking so too is hardly helpful. Just when Logan finds himself wondering when he's life came to this, asking his ex-girlfriend advice for the girl he might be in love with, who coincidentally is her best friend, Lilly stands up and swipes Logan's phone off the coffee table.

"What are you doing?" Logan asks.

"Fixing your problems, obviously you need to talk to Veronica and I'm helping that along."

**Veronica's POV**

Lilly's car is in Logan's driveway. She supposes she shouldn't be feeling like this, that really she should have known it was coming. She's still a lot more hurt than she'd anticipated though. Why would Logan invite her over when Lilly was here? Was it to let her down gently? Oh God what if they'd both realised Veronica was in love with Logan and were both sitting in there, ready to tell her they were back together?! She considers just turning around, spending the rest of her life avoiding them as much as possible, or at the very least the night. But then she reminds herself that she is Veronica Mars, badass teenage super sleuth and that she never backs down from a challenge. So she forces herself out of her car, she's lived through worse, what was about to happen would barely make a blip on the radar of the things she's successfully lived through, she's got this.

* * *

**AN: Sorry for the lack of action in this one. Will hopefully update Friday night, in the meantime let me know what you thought :)**


	17. Confrontation

**Veronica's POV**

She's outside the front door before she decides she can't do it, she isn't ready to see Logan and Lilly together. She's headed back to her car and reaching for her keys when a voice speaks from behind her, sending chills down her spine.

"Leaving so soon?" She doesn't have to turn around, knows Aaron Echolls is stood behind her. Her fingers finally touching around her keys and she pulls them out, before she can do anything with them, whether it's using them as a weapon or foolishly thinking she can unlock her car and get away, Aaron's hand is wrapped around her wrist, yanking her hand behind her back, his fingers press down around her wrist causing her to drop her keys in shock.

"Going somewhere, Veronica?" Aaron asks in her ear and Veronica whimpers in response. She's plagued in memories of the last time she went toe to toe with this man. She can smell the smoke as if she is back in that chest freezer in another reality. She's pulled from her memories by the sound of a door opening, Aaron pulls Veronica around by her arm to take in the newcomer, Lilly emerges from the door, her eyes quickly take in Veronica and Aaron, her blue eyes opening in shock, she's quickly backing in to the house, calling out as she does;

"Logan, call the police! It's your dad." Aaron is running towards the door and Lilly, pulling Veronica along with him. Logan is headed towards Lilly, phone to his ear, he freezes when he catches sight of Veronica being held by Aaron.

"Hang up the phone, Son." Aaron tells him. Veronica can hear the tinny sound of an answering voice on the other end of Logan's cell, but instead of asking for help, he snaps it closed, never taking his eyes off of Veronica.

"Let her go." He tells his father, his tone low and threatening, worthy of scaring a saner man than Aaron Echolls.

"Now why would I do that?" Aaron asks, smirking at his son as she grips Veronica tighter, making her gasp in pain. Logan's eyes narrow in anger and she can tell he is barely constraining himself from rushing to her, only the threat of what Aaron may to do her if he does, holding him back.

"Come out, come out where ever you are, Lilly. Unless you want to be responsible for me finishing what I started with you with poor Veronica here." Lilly emerges from around the corner, eyes locked on Veronica's cowering figure in Aaron's grip. Veronica may not scare easily, but she's also not an idiot, she knows what Aaron is capable of, still sometimes has nightmares from the night she discovered the tapes in Lilly's vent.

"Good girl. Now both of you, sit." Aaron says, gesturing to the couch. Lilly and Logan sit, Logan's gaze never wavering from Veronica's, she knows him well enough to know he is telling her that he won't let anything happen to her, that she'll be ok. She wants to believe him, but isn't sure how it's possible any of them will be ok when they are trapped in a house with a madman.

"Give me your phones." Aaron holds out his hand to the two seated teenagers, jerking Veronica along with him when he goes to collect them.

"Where are the tapes, Lilly?" He asks when both cells are now in his pocket.

"What tapes?" Lilly asks with a quirk of her eyebrow.

"Don't play coy with me you little bitch! You want to do this the hard way?!" Lilly's silence only seems to incense Aaron more, "Fine, you want to do this the hard way!" The grip on Veronica's arm disappears, only to quickly be replaced in her hair, he yanks hard on her ponytail, exposing her neck. "Maybe you just need a little incentive to see that I'm being serious." Veronica feels something cold touch her throat, she can't see what it is, the hold Aaron has on her hair too tight for her to move. She hears Lilly gasp and Logan emits a sound that sounds almost like a growl.

"Lilly, tell him where the tapes he wants are, now!" Logan's voice demands.

"I can't, Logan." Lilly answers, the sounds of unshed tears thick in her voice.

"Why the hell not?" Logan demands.

"Because the whereabouts of those tapes is the only thing keeping us alive right now."

"He's got a knife to Veronica's throat!" Logan is really angry now.

"Listen to my son, Lilly." Aaron cuts in, his tone that of satisfied predator who knows he has his prey backed into a corner, Aaron has unearthed Logan's weakness and he intends to use it to get what he wants. Before either teenager has a chance to respond, Veronica feels the cold metal of the knife bite into her throat, slicing into her skin, blood quickly dripping from the open wound and down her neck.

"Where are the tapes?!" Logan is yelling now and though she can't see him, Veronica is sure he's only seconds away from shaking the answer out of Lilly.

"I... I don't know what to do. Veronica, what do I do?" Lilly's voice whimpers and Veronica's not sure she's ever heard Lilly Kane sound so vulnerable. For her part, Veronica isn't sure what she should do either, she knows that with those tapes a big part of the case against Aaron disappears but there's also a good chance they are all going to end up dead if they don't hand them over to Aaron soon. The knife cuts deeper into her throat and Veronica's internal struggle is distracted by the very real reality of a knife slicing into her neck.

"Sit down, Logan." Aaron demands. She can't see him but she knows he must not do as he is told because the knife is soon slicing further along her neck, not deep enough to kill her quickly but enough that blood is dripping down her neck and onto her shirt, pooling around the opening.

"Lilly, please just tell him." Logan's voice is pleading.

"What if I'm wrong?" Lilly asks.

"He's going to kill her." Logan's says, voice still pleading with Lilly to give in.

"Let her go and then I'll tell you." Lilly's voice demands, voice sounding stronger and more like that of the Lilly Kane that Veronica has always known. Veronica is released suddenly and forcefully thrown towards the couch, arms catch her before she makes contact and she is pulled gently into Logan's lap, a hand quickly coming up to her throat to assess the damage, their eyes make contact, Logan silently asking if she's ok, she nods, because despite the sharp sting of the cuts, she's sure they are superficial and she doesn't want Logan going after his father, not when there's still a knife between them and especially because Logan has a broken shoulder.

"Tell me." Aaron's voice demands from behind her.

"They're at my house." Lilly answers from besides her.

"Let's go." Veronica watches as Aaron yanks Lilly up from the couch and gestures at Logan and Veronica to follow.

"Why can't Lilly just tell you where they are and you let us go?" Logan asks.

"Because I can't guarantee Lilly isn't lying, so until I have those tapes, you're all coming with me." Veronica wants to ask what exactly Aaron plans to do when he has the tapes, after all it's not like he will exactly walk away free, Lilly and Veronica's attempted murders were witnessed by the Sheriff and another police officer, but she keeps quiet, knows nothing good will come of her drawing attention to the giant flaw in Aaron's plan. Aaron yanks Lilly along, keeping an eye on Logan and Veronica, who walk holding hands behind him, Veronica's not sure who took whose hand but she's grateful for the reassuring grip, this feeling of safety when being held hostage by a would be murderer that comes from holding Logan's hand.

Aaron pulls the front door open and the comforting sound of her father's voice breaks into the silence.

"Let the kids go, Aaron. It's over." Veronica manages a quick peek over Aaron's shoulder where she is met with the sight of what she is sure is the entirety of the sheriff's department standing around the Echolls' drive, guns pointed towards the front door where Aaron is now pulling Lilly into him, the bloodied knife to her throat.

"What do you think is going to happen, Aaron?" Keith's steady voice asks from where he is standing front and centre, his gun too aimed at Aaron. Aaron pulls away from the door, kicking it shut as he goes, spinning around with Lilly still in his arms his eyes fall on Veronica, his eyes wild, the knowledge of being trapped fracturing what control he had left and suddenly he is a man who no longer has anything to lose, Veronica watches this dawn of Aaron and panics, there is nothing stopping him from killing them now.

"You stupid bitch! You weren't worth it! Ruin my life will you!" Aaron screams at Lilly as he flings her away from his body but still maintains a grip on her arm, Lilly fights to free herself and Veronica is wondering if she can make it to the door and the police officers on the other side, when suddenly Logan is moving from his place beside her and flinging himself onto Aaron's arm, the one holding the knife, Veronica screams his name as father and son struggle to gain control of the knife, the door burst open and men enter the room but Veronica is too focused on Logan and his closeness to the knife, she watched as Aaron releases Lilly and uses his now empty hand to reach out and grip Logan's broken shoulder, she watches as pain fills Logan's face and his grip slackens from around Aaron's wrist, stares on in horror as Aaron takes the knife and plunges it into... Lilly's stomach, Veronica had been so focused on Logan, she hadn't even seen Lilly move. She screaming and running to them before she even realises, barely notices as Aaron is taken down, she doesn't know who does it, doesn't even care, there's only one thing she cares about right now. Logan is lying Lilly gently on the ground, his hand pressed to her stomach to stop the flow of blood. Logan and Veronica's eyes meet in horror as the blood continues to flow from Lilly's wound and the colour drains from her face.

"Veronica." Lilly says.

"Lilly." Veronica answers, reaching out a hand to caress the other girl's face. She's forgotten why it is she's mad at this girl, all of a sudden she remembers the overwhelming desire she had in her other universe for Lilly to be alive again, she knows Lilly is far from perfect and quite frankly isn't the nicest person, but Veronica wants nothing more in that moment for Lilly to survive, to never again have to attend her funeral, mourn her loss, question every decision she makes in life as she wonders what Lilly would think or what Lilly would be doing at that point in Veronica's life. She doesn't care if they are never friends again, she just can't stand the thought of Lilly Kane no longer existing in any universe.

"Please don't die." Veronica begs and she knows it's a stupid thing to say, knows Lilly can't help whether she lives or dies, but Lilly surprises her, as she often does, by laughing.

"Wouldn't exactly be the first time, would it?" She asks and Veronica's gasps catches in her throat, it's there in Lilly's eyes, Veronica can see it, the knowledge that this is not the first time Lilly has lain dying, she knows that Veronica knows this too.

"When?" She asks, knows Lilly will know what she's asking.

"The moment you saved my life." Veronica doesn't realise she is crying until she sees a tear drop onto Lilly's neck, Lilly knew, she knew Aaron had murdered her once before and that Veronica knew this. This new information was so overwhelming it refused to settle in Veronica's brain.

The paramedics arrived and Veronica moved out of the way, she watched as Lilly was escorted by stretcher to the ambulance and as the doors closed behind her, Veronica and Logan watched in silence, though neither voiced the thought aloud, they knew there was a very real possibility they would never see Lilly Kane alive again.

Five torturous hours later, Veronica and Logan are sat on the hard plastic seating of the public visitor's lounge waiting for news on Lilly. They'd arrived at the hospital via squad car not long after Lilly had arrived and once Logan had been given some painkillers for his inflamed shoulder and Veronica's throat had been dressed (she was right, the wounds were superficial thankfully), they'd both sat down to wait for news on Lilly. They were holding hands, seated as close together as possible with an armrest between them, but neither had had yet to break the silence, just when Veronica was searching her brain for something to say, Jake Kane stood in front of them.

"She's going to be ok, she's been moved to recovery and the doctor's are almost positive she'll make a full recovery." Both Veronica and Logan's body sagged with relief and Veronica hadn't even been aware how tightly wound with tension they'd both been until they'd heard the news.

"You two should go home and get some rest, Lilly's still in the ICU and only immediate family is allowed." Jake tells them and Veronica wants to make a snarky response about how she could very well be family for all Jake knows, but frankly she can't bring herself to add anymore drama to her life, so she just watches in silence as Jake walks back towards Lilly.

"She's going to be alright." Logan murmurs from beside her and Veronica nods, tightening her grip on Logan's hand and moving to rest her head on his uninjured shoulder.

"Please stop trying to get yourself killed, I don't think I can take much more of it." Veronica asks him, voice small. He moves to face her, bringing up his uninjured arm to lightly brush his fingers along her neck;

"I will if you will." Their eyes lock and Veronica can see the emotions swirling in Logan's eyes. He speaks again before she can answer; "Seriously Veronica, when that knife cut you..." His voice trails off, the emotion in his voice thickening it as they both continue to stare at each other. She's moving before she registers, so caught up in the vivid emotion in the boy she loves eyes, relief and gratefulness that they are both alive and together propelling her forward, the kiss isn't much of one, just a gentle brush of lips, she pulls back and they both get caught in the intense staring again, she can see he's shocked, his eyes having widen slightly, she's thinking she should probably apologise, though she's not really sorry, but she's suddenly reminded that Lilly was at Logan's- and her thought breaks off at the sudden soft pressure of lips again her own.

"Veronica." Logan sighs against her lips and the two move closer together, the kiss turning more forceful, months of unleashed tension causing them both to quickly deepen the kiss, their lips brushing along each other's before Logan is gently biting her bottom lip and Veronica is opening her mouth on a gasp and then Logan's tongue is in her mouth and she's so overwhelmed, her mind chanting a steady stream of finally, finally, _finally._

* * *

**AN: Sorry guys, I know I said I'd try for Friday but my niece has come to stayed for the school holidays and we spent last night making a blanket fort and watching the Spy Kids movie. Hopefully this chapter was worth the wait, it is unedited but I was too eager to get it up so hopefully you can forgive me that.**

**Thank you all you beautiful people for reviewing/favouriting etc, see you next time!**


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